Criminal Act
by Imagination Central
Summary: Sasuke, a highly respected police officer with a strong sense of justice and a low tolerance for criminals, is sent to arrest Naruto, a sexy bad boy who lives life on the edge. However, Sasuke doesn't realize exactly what he's getting himself into until it's too late. Yaoi (boyxboy) and lemons!
1. Caught in the Act

**AN: New story! I am super excited about this story, because the plot line is huge and the characters make me squeal. This is the first fanfiction I've written with multiple characters that actually play major parts in the story, which is fun for me. While this story is focused on Sasu/Naru I want you guys to know that there will be minor coupling in here, nothing too big but little fun romances that give the story some cuties. With that said, I hope you guys enjoy the first chapter! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor will I ever own Naruto. It sucks to be me.**

**Warning: Anything I write in here is purely for the story and if anyone is offended by it I apologize immensely; this story is for fun only, I'm not trying to make any political or religious points here. **

* * *

"Nine one one, what is your emergency?" Sakura asked calmly into her ear piece, leaning back in her chair as the person on the other line frantically explained the situation. "What's the address for that?" Pause. "Yes. We're sending help now." Then she clicked off and instantly became frenzied. "Kakashi, there's a robbery down on 16th Avenue. I don't think there are any hostages but you need to send someone down there right away. I don't know how many people are involved or how serious it is, but it's best to hurry."

The gray haired officer nodded and went in search for Sasuke, already having men on a mysterious silent emergency call. He found him in the lounge room, drinking a cup of coffee and staring at the TV.

"There's a robbery down on 16th, I'm putting you on it." Kakashi said, pointing at Sasuke. Immediately, the raven was up and out of his seat.

"Do you know how many people are involved? How many weapons? Any hostages?" Sasuke asked as he walked briskly towards the car garage, Officer Kakashi keeping pace beside him.

"Sakura said there weren't any hostages so far, and that she was unsure of the danger level and the amount of people involved. Best to hurry, though." Kakashi stopped at the door off the garage, watching as Sasuke jumped hurriedly into the police car. The sirens went on in a flash of red and blue, and then Sasuke was zipping out of the garage, speeding down the street and towards the bank. Kakashi grinned. Sasuke was a hell of a cop, and he knew the situation would be easily handled. He was in for a surprise.

-O-

Sasuke pressed his foot down hard on the gas, swerving past cars and trucks in his haste to get to the scene. He had triple checked his belt and knew he had his Taser, at the very least, and he had two backup guns stored in the storage in the front of his car. He was set.

When he pulled up to the bank, nothing seemed that out of the ordinary. In fact, he almost was convinced it was a fake call until someone banged on the inside of the bank window, looking terrified. Sasuke quickly pulled out his gun and cautiously opened the door, positioning himself so that the only unprotected part of his body was his hands. There was a small whimper from inside, and Sasuke lurched forward, swinging his gun around the room, looking for the criminal. He only found cowering citizens, and not very many. He frowned, then looked for a bank teller. Something about the situation didn't seem quite right to him.

He glanced over at the nearest citizen, a red haired girl with glasses and a purple shirt. She started up at him with wide, fearful eyes. "Where are they?" he asked lowly, and she shook her head, putting her hand over her mouth. Sasuke frowned down at her then looked up. His eyes landed on a calendar, and he suddenly remembered what day it was. Sunday. None of the banks were open on Sunday. Just as he realized this, a hand clamped over his mouth and he was held in a headlock. The girl from the floor swiftly launched up and kicked the gun out of his hands, sending the weapon skidding. Then, almost as if by magic, the rest of the 'innocent citizens' stood up, grinning at Sasuke.

"I didn't realize how _stupid_ the police were," A deep, achingly electric voice sizzled into Sasuke's ears from directly behind him. It was the voice of the man holding him. Instantly, Sasuke assessed the situation. It seemed as though everyone in the bank was working together, though the purpose he did not know. His eyes took in the hacked lock to the teller box and then shifted to where he knew the vault was. It seemed as though they had stopped mid rob and formed a different plan. One that involved a cop. Ransom.

"Well, he seemed to figure at least _some_ of it out before you got him," the redhead said, smiling sweetly at Sasuke.

Another redhead, whose eyes were the color of the sea outlined with black kohl, glared over at the girl, but did not say a word. Sasuke took in the rest of who he would be facing: a tall looking boy with tan skin and wild brown hair, who had red upside down triangles tattooed to his cheeks, a pale girl with pale eyes and short, black hair, an older man with wild white hair and two thin red lines running vertically down from his eyes and another white haired man, but this one looked much younger and wore a tight purple tank top with multiple piercings in both his ears. They certainly seemed like the type of people fit for this profession, Sasuke thought dryly.

Then the voice behind him spoke again. "Kiba, pick up the gun and point it at this guy's head. I need a picture to send to the police." The triangle tattooed one moved to get the gun, and Sasuke instantly branded him with the name.

"Now, officer, I'm going to ask you to remain completely still, or I'll have Kiba blow out your brains. And, to be quite honest, that would be a terrible shame because you have one of the finest faces I have ever seen." Suddenly the hand was removed and the owner of the voice moved into Sasuke's line of sight. His blood ignited when he saw what the owner of the voice looked like, and he had to fight to keep his face as deadpan as possible.

"Naruto, you're not really gonna make me shoot him, are you?" Kiba asked, pointing the gun to the floor with an eyebrow raised. The blonde, Naruto, glared at Kiba but then sighed.

"I was going for super fucking badass, Kiba. It won't help if we have a cocky cop on our hands. I was trying to fucking scare him." Naruto replied, annoyance seeping from his voice. Sasuke wasn't exactly sure what was going on, but he knew he needed to get that gun back as soon as possible. Kiba was still casually holding it, and Sasuke knew if he could kick him just right it would land closer to him than any of the others.

"Please, stop fighting you two! We have a mission here," The dark hair girl said, and Kiba instantly blushed.

"Sorry, Hinata." He then tightened his grip on the gun and leveled it with Sasuke's face. Sasuke made eye contact with Kiba, who grinned reassuringly. Sasuke frowned. Never in his whole career of being a police officer had he encountered someone who _smiled reassuringly_ as he held a gun to his head.

"What the hell is going on here?" Sasuke asked, turning to Naruto, who seemed to be the leader of the whole group.

"I believe this is called a robbery," the redheaded girl said, cocking her hip out and crossing her arms.

"You idiot, we abandoned that plan, remember? It's a hostage situation now." Said the white haired tank top man.

"Suigetsu, shut the fuck up." She growled back, flipping him off.

Sasuke chose that moment to jump forward and kick his leg out, connecting perfectly with Kiba's hand. The gun flew in the direction of the door, and Sasuke instantly summersaulted back towards it, only to be stopped by the thick, blond Naruto.

"Oi, what exactly do you think you're doing?" Naruto questioned, his gaze dark and threatening.

"I'm assuming escape," Kiba said sarcastically, rubbing his wrist and wincing.

"He could be trying to get up your pants," the oldest one suggested with a smirk.

Naruto glared at both of them, then pounced on Sasuke, straddling his hips and effectively halting his process. A burning heat wound its way through Sasuke's body and he tried to fight the oncoming blush. The unexpected contact with Naruto made him react much more than he'd like to admit. "This is taking way too fucking long. Hinata, toss me the gun. Karin, get the camera out."

Both girls followed his instructions, and Sasuke labeled each of them once more. He knew once they were arrested he would be able to at least scan all first names. Once Hinata handed him the gun, Karin stood just behind Sasuke, smartly, so the police wouldn't be able to identify Naruto. Then Sasuke felt the barrel of the gun press into his skull, and, even with the knowledge that these people weren't purposely looking to harm him, he tensed up and closed his eyes.

"That's totally perfect! Great acting, just hold that pose… Got it!" Sasuke heard the snap of the camera and opened his eyes, right as the gun was removed from his temple. Then he was hauled up by Naruto and thrown into a chair, where he was held down by the older man as Kiba tied him securely to the chair from behind. Once they were sure he couldn't move, they all stood back and stared at him.

Glaring back, he struggled against his confines, wanting to scream and cuss them out, but instead remained calm. "Why are you guys acting like this?" Sasuke asked instead, leaning back into the chair.

Naruto made eye contact that Sasuke found unable to break. "Ransom for a cop is ten times higher than anything we could steal from this bank. I think we have a little right to be happy knowing how much dough we're going to pull in." Naruto smile smirked at Sasuke, then crouched low, so they were face to face. As he spoke, Sasuke noticed the tongue ring he had, and the thought went straight to his groin. _Good God,_ he thought, _what the hell is wrong with me?_

"Most criminals aren't nice to their captors. In all my years, I've never once encountered a group like yours."

Suigetsu perked up at this and nudged Karin. "Hear that? We're special."

While the others laughed, Naruto continued to stare at Sasuke. While it should have been unnerving and even a bit frightening, Sasuke felt nothing but pure heat crawl through his body.

Suddenly there was a ringing, and Naruto looked down at his phone. When he saw the number, he smiled. "Looks like your buddies got the message, officer."

Sasuke started at the title, remembering that Naruto still didn't know his real name. He watched as the blonde answered the phone, casually saying hello as if it were his mother calling, not the police.

"This is not… Sasuke," he sent a wink towards the raven, who tensed immediately. "No, I do have Sasuke with me, however." Pause. "Of course I haven't hurt him. Yet, anyway. That will come in the future if you don't work nicely with me." Pause. "No, this was not a simple bank robbery. Had you guys thought that through, poor _Sasuke_," said man held back an aroused shiver, "wouldn't be in this mess." Pause. "I'm asking for about one million dollars here." Pause. Naruto laughing. "You police officers sure do love your workers. Honestly, I don't even know if you'd pay me that money if I had the president held hostage." Pause. "You can _try_ to enter the premises but I've currently got a gun to your guys head and if I so much as _hear_ a siren come my way, I will make a helluva ugly hole in this pretty boy's head." Then Naruto snapped the phone closed.

Watching as he repeatedly smashed the device with his foot, Sasuke wondered how the hell he was going to get out of this.

"Boss, how are we going to manage this, exactly?" Karin asked, eyeing the now destroyed phone with a small amount of dismay. Sasuke noticed as she tucked her hair behind her ear that she a small tattoo of a bird just below her left ear, and mentally stored that bit of information.

"Jiraiya," Naruto started, staring at the oldest man. "Go get the codes for the vaults." Jiraiya nodded, then jumped over the counter of the bank and walked towards the vault, a certain swagger in his steps that made Sasuke want to instantly like him.

"Naruto," Sasuke said lowly, watching as the blonde turned his head in surprise. "Just let me go. It would be so much simpler for all of us if you let me go. Because you and I both know that you're not going to get away with this." Sasuke looked hard into Naruto's amused eyes, then jolted when he felt his calloused hands grab his chin and pull him closer.

"I think my team and I are doing just fine, Sasuke-chan." Naruto smiled when the raven blinked in surprise as he used the Japanese honorific. Then a slight blush erupted over his cheeks and he looked away. What the hell had gotten into him? Why was this man so good at distracting him from his job?

Naruto smirked and backed away with a wink, then went to the windows and pulled the curtains closed. Kiba was sitting on a chair in the waiting area, talking to Hinata, who seemed quiet enough, but her appearance and clothing proved otherwise. She had on tight ripped skinny jeans and combat boots, with a black cotton tank top covered by a dark brown leather jacket. He saw the beginnings of a tattoo on her chest, but it disappeared under her shirt. Kiba seemed entranced by this woman, and Sasuke knew that would come to his advantage later on.

Suddenly there was an explosion of glass from the front door and everyone was on their feet, weapons drawn and aimed at the door. Sasuke was stunned with the clean and precise way they moved together, and it showed just how long the gang had been working together.

"Put your weapons down. We are here to get Sasuke and Sasuke only. If you let us do that, we will let you go, free of charge." The deep voice boomed, and Sasuke instantly recognized his brother, and relief filled his chest the same time dread did, mixing painfully in his stomach.

"The only way you're getting Sasuke is if you fork over one million fucking dollars," Naruto calmly replied, pointing his gun directly at Itachi's head. Sasuke struggled desperately in his seat, his eyes wide.

"Don't shoot him! Naruto, don't you dare shoot him," Sasuke shouted, gasping when Naruto quickly turned on him, a bemused expression on his face. He looked just as confused as Sasuke felt. Why had he used his name like that? He had said it almost… intimately.

However, Itachi used this distraction to get a jump on Naruto and leaped for him. Naruto, it seemed, was faster, and quickly dove out of the way. Itachi instead ended up getting Karin, who screamed and pounded his arm. Then Sasuke's brother held his gun up to Karin's head and made eye contact with each of the gang members.

"I am going to be very clear about this, so listen carefully. I will exchange this girl for Sasuke. If you decline that offer, not only with I arrest her and take her to jail, I will shoot all of you in the spines and make sure you never walk again." As he spoke, more backup poured into the bank, and among them Sasuke spotted Ino, Kakashi, and Neji, all with their guns raised. Once Neji entered the premises, Sasuke heard Hinata curse. Neji's eyes instantly flew towards Hinata, and when he saw her, he paled.

"Hinata…?" He asked, almost dropping his gun.

Naruto glanced back at Hinata, who was looking even more trapped than she had before. Then she high vaulted over the counter and ducked just as a spray of bullets went by with Neji screaming, "DON'T SHOOT! DON'T FUCKING SHOOT!" and then Karin elbowed Itachi in the face, staggering him, and quickly slid out the front door, running at full speed as the rest of her team launched themselves behind the counter.

Kiba was the last one, and in a desperate attempt to stop them, Ino pulled her trigger. Sasuke watched almost in slow motion as the bullet imbedded itself in Kiba's flesh and bone. There was a loud shout but he kept moving, grabbing his shoulder as he ran. Then suddenly they were all gone and Sasuke was surrounded by Itachi and Kakashi, while Ino and Neji went after the team of criminals.

"Are you okay?" Itachi asked desperately, inspecting every inch of Sasuke face and body, his eyes full of worry. Kakashi untied him, and as Sasuke stood up Itachi captured him in a fierce hug, nearly crushing Sasuke's lungs in the process. "I was so worried about you, little brother. They didn't hurt you, did they?"

Sasuke shook his head and pulled himself from Itachi's bone-crushing hug. Then he turned to Kakashi and thanked him.

"You're welcome, Sasuke. But, I need to ask you something. How did they manage to get you hostage? You're one of the best on our squad. What happened?" Kakashi asked kindly, winding the rope around his hands and then tossing it onto the counter.

"I assumed it was a bank robbery, just like all of you, and walked in with my weapon pulled. Most of them were positioned on the floor, acting scared or frightened, but since I couldn't see the 'robber' I felt like something was… off. Which of course, it was. Although by the time I remembered that it was Sunday, Naruto, the blonde guy, was behind me and he had me in a headlock. Then Karin, the redheaded girl, kicked my gun out of my hand and things just escalated from there." Sasuke stopped to think, scratching behind his head. "The weird thing is, they were all… nice, in a way. They never actually hurt me, and when they sent that picture to you of the gun to my head, they told me what they were doing. It was all so strange."

Itachi chewed on his lip for a moment, which reminded Sasuke of Naruto's lips, which brought on the thought of his tongue, and ended up with Sasuke imagining how Naruto's tongue ring would feel against his own tongue, or maybe even his– Sasuke's thoughts were cut off by Neji and Ino walking back into the room together, arguing back and forth about how they could have done this or that to capture the team. They stopped and looked up when they realized they had an audience.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, and Neji glared at Ino, then sank down into a chair, putting his face in his hands. "Shit. I knew Hinata was getting out of line, but I didn't know she was _that_ bad."

Sasuke looked over at this, brows raised. "How do you know her?" he inquired, watching as Neji worriedly bit at his thumb nail.

"She's my cousin." He answered shortly, sighing at the end of his sentence.

Everyone in the room let a moment of sympathetic silence draw out before Kakashi spoke up. "We're gonna need to head back to the station so we can give the information to Sakura so she can file it. And I feel like Sasuke needs a rest." Kakashi smiled over at him. Sasuke smiled slightly back, then followed his team out of the bank, watching almost in a haze as Itachi put up yellow tape surrounding the area. Then he climbed back into his car and spent the rest of his day trying to forget those alluring blue eyes.

-O-

"Shit, that bitch got me _bad_," Kiba complained as Hinata nursed his bullet wound, which, thankfully, hadn't hit anywhere other than his shoulder. Hinata refrained rolling her eyes at him, quietly worrying over the fact that Neji had seen her. The shame that had filled her in that moment almost made her want to cry, but she held back, knowing this was where she belonged. She had been the good girl her whole life, and she was done with that.

Naruto paced in the living room of her apartment, which was were the gang usually hung out. Everyone had made it out okay, but Karin had showed up to the apartment late, bruised and exhausted, but still okay. When Suigetsu saw this, he instantly complained, but everyone, even Karin, saw the relief that had filled his eyes.

Gaara sat like a statue on one of the counter stools, peacefully sipping water from the glass cup. Jiraiya had, almost immediately started cracking sexual jokes about Naruto and the cop, even as they were on the run. Naruto had ended up punching Jiraiya in the stomach, but even through his pain the man found the situation to be quite hilarious.

Hinata looked back at Naruto, who seemed deeply affected by the event. He wasn't usually this… tense, after a robbery. They had still gotten quite a bit of money, thanks to Naruto's insight to get the codes to the bank vaults and computers, and Jiraiya's skill with computer systems. Everything had gone, for the most part, fine. Yet Naruto still paced back and forth, his eyes latched onto something far away.

Kiba noticed this too and called over, "Hey, Naruto. What the hell's wrong, man?"

Naruto looked up, startled, then glanced back down, running his tongue over his lips. "Nothing in particular. I just…" He stopped, sank onto the couch, then stood back up again, pacing once more. Gaara rolled his eyes and took another sip of water.

"He can't stop thinking about that cop, Sasuke." Gaara told them, smirking when Naruto jerked at the mention of the police officer's name. Hinata raised her delicate eyebrows, then continued to dab at Kiba's wound, which didn't look like it would need stitching. Finally pulling back, Hinata allowed herself to appraise Kiba's body until she looked away with a slight blush, tossing the bloody rag onto the counter and trading it for gauze. As she wrapped it around Kiba's shoulder, she glanced over at Jiraiya again.

"Jiraiya, everything went okay with those codes, right?" she asked, and got an affirmative nod from him. She turned back to Kiba and, satisfied that he would live, stepped back. He jumped down from the table and grinned adoringly at Hinata, thanking her, before he grabbed his pack of cigarettes and went to smoke on the balcony.

"Do you think he's okay?" Naruto asked suddenly, looking up. "Do you think his squad got mad at him for…"

"For what?" Suigetsu interrupted, "Being a hostage?"

"Yeah, Naruto, I think you're over thinking things." Karin agreed, sending a glare towards Suigetsu for no reason.

Jiraiya chuckled, snapping his laptop shut. He grinned tauntingly at Naruto before he said, "Nah, he just can't stop thinking about that sexy hunk of cop. I think this one's attracted to authority figures. Or maybe it's the forbidden thing that's cranking his engine. Naruto, you kinky bastard."

Naruto flipped Jiraiya off, muttering 'bastard' under his breath as he turned away. "I think I'm gonna go upstairs and lie down," Naruto declared as he climbed the steps.

"Make sure to use lube so you don't chafe!" Jiraiya called, laughing.

Hinata hid a smile, but somehow she knew that Naruto wouldn't be able to get the cop out of his head. Only one other person had ever affected him like that. She hoped this wouldn't turn out the same way.

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**AN: So? How was it? Did you guys like it? Hate it? Please let me know with a review! They make the chapters come faster :) Thank you for reading!**

**Much love, **

**-IC**


	2. French Fries and Tomatoes

**AN: I loved the reviews! Guys, you inspire me to write the crap out of my keyboard (…which doesn't really make sense but we'll go with it.) A guest reviewer brought into light ****_just_**** how unrealistic my story is, and as a reply: I know. My story is in ****_no way_**** even ridiculously close to exactly how a hostage situation would work, or how the police would handle it. But that's exactly why this is fiction. So, hopefully you guys still like how unrealistic this is, just for the sake of fun. If not, you know what to do. **

**To answer the question of whether it was SasuNaru or NaruSasu: It will be NaruSasu, just based on how I have their personalities. (P.S. The characters ((mainly Sasuke)) will be OOC, just an FYI)**

**Disclaimer: It wouldn't be fanfiction if I owned Naruto, would it? On with the story!**

**XXX**

Sasuke woke up, gasping, azure eyes flashing as he blinked sleep from his eyes. He hadn't been able to release Naruto's face from his mind yesterday, especially with all the questioning he had gotten afterwards.

-O-

Neji was tensely quiet the whole time, knowing that it would be only a small amount of time before they found his cousin. Sasuke sat slumped in a spinning chair as Sakura continuously typed names into her computer, and he slowly nodded as she located each and every member of the gang. For some reason, when Naruto's face popped up, Sasuke flinched. He didn't understand why his guard came down so instantly when he saw the blonde's face. Something inside his heart clenched and he had to turn away as he nodded.

The thought of the bubbly, energetic gang being put behind bars almost made him sad, and he swallowed thickly. Sakura had seemed to pick up on his hesitation to give out the information, and she leaned forward. Her pink hair brushed his cheek as she whispered, "They may have seemed nice to you, Sasuke, but that was just a trick. I've seen it done before. They are so open with their captor that it guilts the person into sharing not one bit of information. Be better than that. Is this the Karin you saw at the bank?" Sakura pointed to the screen, where a redheaded girl smiled violently back at them, her glasses pushed up n her head as she grabbed something out of reach.

Sasuke frowned. "Where did you get that picture?"

"It doesn't really matter, does it? Is this Karin?" Sighing, Sasuke slumped even farther forward in his chair and nodded, just wanting this to be over. He wanted to get home, grab his computer, and binge watch Netflix till he passed out on his couch. Sakura rubbed her temples as Sasuke's temper wore thinner and thinner.

"Why the hell do we even need to get them? They didn't hurt me, and they sure as hell didn't…" Sasuke trailed off as he remembered Naruto telling Jiraiya to grab the codes. He let out a frustrated growl, then stood up. "Can I go home now?"

"Yes. You need some time to recuperate or something. What the hell did they do in there, anyway? Sing folk songs around a campfire and hand feed you marshmallows? Did you somehow miss the gun to your head?" Sakura shot back, quickly filing the names and pictures Sasuke had given into the database.

Sasuke rubbed his face tiredly. "You're right. You're right, okay? I just can't get Naruto out of my head. I can't get any of them out of my head. I just need some time to relax and think things over. Okay? I promise I'll want to lock their sorry asses behind bars as much as you tomorrow."

-O-

Now, Sasuke rolled over in his bed and groaned, realizing that his 'day of recuperation' had done nothing but intensified his newfound obsession with the blonde haired criminal. Sitting up, he rubbed off the crusts sleep had formed over his eyes. Then he yawned and stood up, walking drowsily to his kitchen, where he numbly started his coffee. He shook himself once, then went to take a shower. The first spray of cold water woke him up a little more, and by the time Sasuke stepped from the shower, he decided that he was once again ready to face the day.

Toweling himself off, the raven watched as his face moved behind the layer of condensation that had collected on his mirror during his shower. He reached forward and wiped it away with the palm of his hands and started when he saw just how big the bags under his eyes were. He scowled and looked down to brush his teeth, when the quick, darting thought entered his mind: _at least Naruto won't see me like this_. Sasuke dropped his toothbrush in the sink as the thought processed. He was going to have to admit at one point or another that he was, in fact, undeniably smitten with the blonde haired criminal. But now, it appeared, was not that time.

Finishing with his morning routine, Sasuke went to his room and pulled on dark blue jeans with a white polo shirt. He ruffled his hair a little, then, deciding that was all he could do, returned to the kitchen where his coffee awaited him. Hot and steaming, he picked the cup up and drank it straight. Then he grabbed his keys and left his apartment, locking the door behind him.

On the ride over, Sasuke found himself catching his breath at every blonde haired male he saw. His heart would race and his fingers would clench unconsciously on the steering wheel, and by the time he had reached the station, he was light-headed from all the false Narutos.

He walked in through the lobby and ran into Neji, who was looking even worse off than Sasuke. They nodded to each other, but neither said a word as they passed. Sasuke found Itachi in the evidence room, going over a piece of glass from another investigation. His eyes were squinted up in concentration and he kept switching the dials on the microscope, trying to get the perfect shot. Sasuke knocked once on the wall before going in, watching as Itachi jumped, then smiled adoringly at his brother.

"You look well rested," he said sarcastically, ruffling Sasuke's already messy hair. Shrugging, Sasuke took another sip of his now-cold coffee.

"I'm reading a good book. I couldn't put it down last night," he lied, watching as Itachi rolled his eyes.

"Oh? And what's it called? Tall Blonde and Handsome?"

A blush erupted across Sasuke's cheeks and he fought the urge to flip his older brother off. Then he leaned forward to inspect the piece of glass. "Where's this from?" he asked, turning his coffee cup around in his pale fingers.

"An investigation from a _real_ robbery down town. The idiot forgot to wear gloves and left prints." Itachi glanced over at Sasuke, who nodded absentmindedly. "By the way, Neji gave us the address of that Hinata girl's house. He said it was the last place he knew of. Sakura went through the files, but it seems like everyone you identified dropped off our radar about five years ago. We have absolutely no trace of them. My guess is that they're using fake names now."

Sasuke perked up at his, meeting Itachi's eyes. "Is anyone going to investigate her old house? Or the area around it? Ask for clues?"

Pulling back from the microscope, Itachi combed his hand through his long hair. His police uniform fit him nicely, and he almost made it look like a style choice. On Sasuke, however, he looked stiff and awkward and entirely like he thought Halloween was coming early that year.

"I figured we could send you down in there, since you seem so enthralled with this group anyways," his brother replied, a small glint in his eyes.

Trying to look indifferent, Sasuke stood up and took the last swig from his coffee mug, then set it down on the table. "It doesn't matter to me who does it. Ino might be good. She has a way of pulling information right out of people."

Biting his lip to hide his smile, Itachi shrugged. "That's true enough, I suppose. Kakashi said he was fine with you doing the investigation and questioning, and it already seems like you're dressed for the occasion."

Sasuke looked down at himself and blushed. Then he schooled his features and raised a haughty brow at Itachi. "If you insist. What's the address?"

Itachi grinned in victory and wrote the address down on a sticky note for Sasuke, then he gave him a small pat on the back and went back to his work. Sasuke left the room feeling excitement worm it's way through his veins. He knew the address would probably lead to a dead end, but it was worth a shot, anyway. Besides, he could allow himself to think about Naruto now with a proper excuse. Climbing in his car, Sasuke pressed the sticky note to his dash and buckled his seat belt. It was time to investigate.

-O-

"Goodbye, blonde hair," Naruto said with a sad sigh, lathering his hair with red hair dye. He knew he had to dye his hair after every robbery, but it always made him sad whenever he said goodbye to his blonde locks for the time being. He pulled his fingers out of his thick hair and smiled slightly when they came away red. Turning the faucet on with his elbow, Naruto rubbed the dye off his skin and watched as it swirled merrily through the drain. The rest of his team had already altered their appearances, and now it was his turn. Hinata had donned a purple wig and a vigorous amount of stage makeup, Karin had dyed her hair blonde and took on contacts, Kiba and Jiraiya had both undergone the humiliating process of applying heavy amounts of cover-up foundation to their tattoos. Gaara had begrudgingly removed the eyeliner from his eyes and went business man: dark brown hair, eyebrows, and a refined sense of style. Suigetsu's hair went from white to light brown and he wore light blue stage contacts.

Naruto rubbed his hands together once more before he sighed and ducked his head under the sink, shivering as the cold water washed over his neck and tickled his scalp. He massaged his skull with his fingers, making sure the dye was firm and set, then stood straight again and shook his head out. He had found out years before that he actually didn't look bad as a redhead (or a nearly brown haired redhead), and smiled charmingly at himself in the mirror. Then he dried his hair out with a towel and ran his hands through his now red spikes. After going through various dye products, he had found a brand that did _not_ dry his hair into oblivion, and, sure enough, his hair remained soft as ever.

Then he popped open the pair of brown stage contacts – something he absolutely despised – and put those on as well. Staring at the finished masterpiece, Naruto couldn't complain. Flipping off the bathroom light, he walked out and posed for his team, who grumbled at him.  
"You always make yourself look attractive, damn you." Karin complained, her light blonde hair pulled up in a sporty pony tail. Naruto grinned, but stopped when Hinata was staring at him thoughtfully.

"You need to cover up your scars," she said quietly, and Naruto bristled.

"You can barely see them –" he started, but Gaara shook his head.

"She's right. We don't know what those cops noticed and what they didn't notice. We need to cover up every defining detail of our body. Even those scars."

Rolling his eyes and whining, Naruto sat still, his irritation plain on his face as Karin applied the cover up to his cheeks. When she pulled back with a satisfied smile, Naruto hopped up and grabbed his sunglasses, throwing a sports jacket over his gray, well-fitted shirt and basketball shorts.

"Where do you think you're going?" Kiba asked, his eyebrows raised high. Naruto sniggered at his blonde hair.

"He's going to fuck his cop silly," Jiraiya offered, quickly dodging a punch coming his way.

"Ice cream. He could be going for ice cream. He looks to be in the mood for ice cream, don't you think?" Suigetsu asked, and Karin kicked him in the shin.

"He doesn't look in the mood for ice cream, you fucking douche, he looks in the mood for pizza." She shot back, and Suigetsu stuck his tongue out at her, which earned him another swift kick to the shin.

"I don't care what he's fucking in the mood for, he's not leaving," Gaara said, glaring at Naruto as he slipped his sunglasses over his eyes. As different as he looked, it was too risky this close after the robbery. Cops would be swarming everywhere, undercover, asking for questions, sniffing through their business like bloodhounds through a forest.

"Come on, Gaara! I barely know who I am, who do you think's going to recognize me? I'll even hop over the fence and exit through the Dollar Store right behind us. No one will fucking know."

Hinata watched him with worried eyes, knowing that he had made up his mind and nothing was going to stop him, but feeling at the same time like something bad was going to happen. "Just… be careful, okay, Naruto? Go by your fake name out on the streets and don't forget to change your voice whenever you talk to someone. Try not to take off your sunglasses."

Naruto smiled gently at her. "Of course, Hinata. I'm not that stupid."

"You're still pretty stupid…" Kiba muttered, smiling when Naruto flipped him off.

Just as Naruto was about to leave, Gaara stopped him. "Why are you even leaving, anyway? Don't tell me it's because you're going to look for that cop."

Naruto used all the control in his body to stop his muscles from tensing. Instead, he laughed, giving Gaara a strange look. "Why the hell would I go looking for that guy? Now let go of me, weirdo." Smiling, Naruto slipped easily from Gaara's grasp and slid out the door. Only after the door closed, Gaara realized Naruto hadn't answered his question. Sighing and rubbing his temples, he sent out a prayer that Naruto didn't do anything stupid. He already knew it wouldn't be answered.

-O-

Sasuke pulled up next to a candle shop near a strip mall, cutting the engine and getting out of his car. He had borrowed the station's 'fake cars' for the time being, and as walked away from the car, he felt himself blend perfectly into the crowd. Whenever he went undercover, he always felt like everyone knew he was a cop. He knew, in the sensible part of his mind, that they had no possible idea of knowing, but still. He worried. Strutting up to where Hinata's last known house was, he stepped over a crack in the sidewalk, a little quirk he couldn't seem to rid himself of. Standing on the front porch, he took in the small house, paint peeling off the side, weeds sprouting from the ground in violent growths, then dying off to dirt spots on the lawn. He swallowed then knocked twice on the door, jumping slightly when he heard a high pitched bark from inside. He knew instantly it was a small dog and he fought the urge to cover his ears.

Finally, a lady answered the door, her face sagging with age and her clothes overflowing with flesh. Her squinty eyes looked him up and down and she raised one invisible eyebrow. "Wha' do ya want?" She wheezed, and even from on the other side of the screen door, Sasuke could smell the smoke on her.

"Uh, hey. I just wanted to know if a girl named Hinata lived here still? I'm an old friend from high school, and I was visiting when I heard she still lived here. Is she home, by any chance?" Sasuke asked as politely a possible, watching as the woman rolled her eyes. Then she produced a cigarette from her pocket. She offered him one, but when he shook his head she shrugged and lit one for herself, inhaling deeply before answering.

"I ain't know no one who go by Hinata. I lived in this house fo' 'bout ten years. Looks like she gave ya the wrong address o' sumthin. Sorry." Just as she was about to close to door, Sasuke held his hand out.

"You've lived here for ten years?" He asked, suddenly serious. The lady eyed him, then nodded, pushing a small dog away when it came up and yapped at Sasuke. Then she slammed the door, and Sasuke heard a faint locking sound. Sighing, he trudged back down the stairs and found his way back to the shopping mall, thinking about what the lady had said. Itachi told him that Neji had said that was the last place he had heard of Hinata living. Either he was lying, or he had the wrong information. Sasuke was still deep in thought when he ran straight into someone.

Taking a couple of balancing steps back, Sasuke felt an immediate apology spring to his lips until he saw who he had run into. It was a man with dark red hair and large aviator glasses. He had a black sports jacket and basketball shorts. But Sasuke instantly knew who he was. It was Naruto. His breath hitched the same time Naruto slung an arm over his shoulder, steering him into a nearby gas station, then plowing him into the bathroom stalls.

"What the hell?" Sasuke asked, breathlessly as Naruto removed his glasses. His vibrant blue eyes were gone, and replaced with dull brown eyes. This irritated Sasuke to no end and he itched to remove the stage contacts. He blinked, angered that _that_ was his thought, not _yes, perfect, now we can arrest this son of a bitch. _

Naruto opened his mouth to say something, then paused, his eyes wide as he looked down at Sasuke. They both seemed to be at a loss for words, until finally, Naruto let him go and backed up, panting.

"You're not going to arrest me?" Naruto asked quietly, and Sasuke saw him inch slowly towards the door. Desperation answered for him:

"No."

Naruto paused, turning his face to look Sasuke right in the eyes. Even though they were the energetic blue that had pierced him the day before, they were still alive with meaning. Sasuke felt a need bubble up within him, a need so ludicrous and downright childish that he blushed, ducking his head. He wanted to take Naruto out to lunch. He wanted to sit calmly with this man and _talk_. Naruto bit his full lip, and Sasuke was struck with the need to see his tongue ring again. Against his will, he found himself saying, "You have a tongue ring."

Naruto grinned at this, his eyebrows raising seductively. Then he stuck his tongue out of his mouth and let Sasuke view it. It was neatly pierced, a small round ball of metal in his tongue. Thought the act was almost vulgar, it amused Sasuke and it smiled at he stared at Naruto's tongue.

"I also have a couple tattoos, but that's for another time," Naruto said, laughing, and Sasuke was struck by just how perfect his voice was. His mind caught on the words 'another time' and his heart sped up in glee. Naruto paused and looked around, his eyes still slightly cautious. "Are we just gonna stay in the bathroom?"

"Well, it's not like I can take you out to lunch," Sasuke said automatically, sarcasm dripping from his voice. Naruto gazed over at him, surprised. Then he laughed.

"Why not?"

And that's how Sasuke ended up taking Naruto to lunch.

-O-

Naruto stared at Sasuke, amusement shining in his eyes as the raven's head darted quickly from side to side. He was a nervous wreck, and it was completely adorable. Licking his lips, Naruto tapped the table once, startling Sasuke into looking him in the eyes again. Those eyes. They were so deep, and dark, and _sexy_. It was a complete turn on. Grinning Naruto winked at Sasuke, enjoying the blush that overcame his face. For some reason unbeknownst to him, Naruto _loved_ getting this raven's feathers ruffled. And boy, was it easy.

"Chill, officer. The more you fidget, the more suspicious you look."

Sasuke glared at him, his rosy cheeks turning even rosier. "Excuse me, _Naruto_, but I'm not a fucking criminal like you."

Shrugging his shoulders, Naruto toyed with his straw, never taking his eyes off Sasuke. "In a way though, you are. What this is right here is breaking the law." Sasuke's eyes narrowed, watching as Naruto lowered his lips to his straw. He took one long sip, then glanced up, a twinkle in his eyes. Sasuke looked away, unable to keep the goddamn butterflies in his stomach from fluttering.

Looking down at his food, the Uchiha bit his thumb, seeming deep in thought. Naruto snapped his fingers once more in his face, growing more annoyed by the second. He wasn't used to people zoning out around him that much. "Oi, Sasuke. Would you rather be somewhere else?"

The raven looked up, startled. Then he met Naruto's challenging stare and pursed his lips. "I _should_ be somewhere else, and so should you."

Naruto rolled his eyes, leaning back in his chair while tapping his foot. When was their food coming? Naruto was hungry. "That wasn't the question, officer, and you know it."

Sasuke sighed and ran his tongue over his teeth, something that made Naruto smile. "No, I wouldn't rather be somewhere else. But I have no fucking clue why."

Laughing, the blonde winked. "It's my charisma and charm, honey. No one can resist me."

As Sasuke's eyes roved over him, he knew that was true. Suddenly, their waiter came, placing their food down in front of them. Sasuke politely said thank you while Naruto gently touched the waiter's arm, smiling his thanks. The waiter, male, blushed and nodded, then hurried away. Seemingly pleased with himself, Naruto rubbed his hands together then dug in, taking a fist full of French fries and popping them into his mouth with a moan. Eyes wide, Sasuke quickly crossed his legs, taking a deep breath.

"Uh, is it that good?" he asked skeptically, picking up his fork so he could start in on his salad. Naruto glanced up, raising an eyebrow. Then he thickly swallowed and took a sip of his milkshake.

"Hell yeah, it's _that good_. Food is the best fucking thing." Naruto flicked a fry at Sasuke, laughing when the raven tried to dodge but failed, ending up with a fry to the eye.

"Dobe," he said quietly under his breath. Naruto's ears perked up.  
"Teme,"

"Asshole,"

"Bastard," Naruto dodged a piece of lettuce and resisted throwing his milkshake on the cop; he sensed that would take it a bit too far. He casually ran his eyes over the raven's meal and frowned, only seeing a salad with a side of cheese and tomatoes.

"Are you anorexic or something?" Naruto asked, picking up his cheeseburger and biting monstrously into it.

Sasuke bristled, then glared at the criminal. "Fucking asshole. Just because someone likes salad doesn't mean they're fucking anorexic."

Naruto shrugged and popped another couple fries into his mouth. Swallowing, he said, "So, what's your story? Why'd you end up being a cop?"

Sasuke's fork paused on its path towards his mouth. He set his hand down and stared at Naruto for a while, his gut twisting as he watched him eat. He didn't know why, but the way Naruto ate was almost… sexy. He absolutely attacked his food, and if someone was that eager about food, then he certainly must be an animal in bed.

Clearing his throat, Sasuke took a bite of his salad. "I've always admired people who stick up for others. Who take the hard path instead of the easy. I liked the idea of protecting someone. Making people feel safe." Sasuke finished, then he grabbed a tomato slice and popped it in his mouth, staring out at the bustling traffic. Then he turned back. "You?"

Naruto shifted now, uncomfortable. "Heh. Well, I finished high school, started college, was on a decent life path. Then I met S-" Naruto abruptly stopped, face hardening. "Someone. They got me into all sorts of drugs and crazy shit like that. Then I got into illegal dealing, which is where I met a guy from my current team, and then when we figured we worked well together, we broke off on our own and slowly collected stragglers along the way. Obviously, I quit college. Then one day I pulled this massively retarded hostage situation, and somehow that lands me a date with a fucking adorably sexy cop. So, I can't be doing _that_ bad."

Sasuke blushed, almost the same color as the tomatoes he kept popping in his mouth. Then he realized all the illegal things Naruto had committed to. He could arrest him on the spot. He could stand up, cuff him, and have everything be done with. But then Naruto was done eating, and apparently he assumed Sasuke was too because he flagged the waiter over, the one he had touched earlier, and asked for the check.

Sasuke was about to get his credit card out when Naruto forked over thirty dollars, waving away Sasuke's protests. "It was like, twenty five dollars, Sasuke. I'll live."

Biting his lip and standing, Sasuke trailed behind Naruto as they left the restaurant. Instead of stopping, however, Naruto just kept walking, and Sasuke really had no choice but to follow. He had tried to remain detached, but who was he kidding? Certainly not Naruto.

"Let's go to the pond," Naruto called behind him, smiling when Sasuke raised his eyebrows. The walk over was peaceful enough. It was early fall, so the temperature was still mildly warm, scorching on some days, but today the wind was blowing softly against the two, keeping the sun's beating rays at bay. The trees, still mostly green but some orange and red, swayed with the wind, and Naruto could swear this was all planned out. He glanced back at Sasuke, who seemed to be thinking the same thing, glancing around him suspiciously. When they reached the pond, a small body of water that was about as big as an elementary school splayed out in front of them. Children were playing catch in the park nearby, people were walking their dogs, lovers were sitting on benches and watching the ducks waddle.

"Heh. Sasuke, I just noticed that the back of your hair kind of looks like a duck butt." Naruto called, making the police officer blush furiously. He continued to follow Naruto over the bridge, the feeling that he should be _doing something_ itching in the back of his mind. Naruto plopped down on one of the benches that were plastered on the bridge, looking down to the shimmering water. Occasionally you would see a fishes tail ripple the surface, but other than that the pond was calm.

"Why are we here?" Sasuke asked finally, leaning back to look at Naruto. And that's when the blonde – now redhead – leaned forward and pressed his lips to Sasuke's. The initial shock that went through him was forgotten by the oncoming spark; it was like the best kind of fire along his skin. He moaned softly, moving his hands up and around Naruto's hair, surprised when it was still feather soft. He moved his lips against Naruto's slowly, wanting to bask in the moment forever. But then it suddenly occurred to him; his work hours were over. He broke the kiss quickly, stunned. Then he jolted to his feet, wanting to say goodbye to Naruto but not knowing how. The man looked up at him, lust clouding his eyes.

"I…" Sasuke started, but then took off, the realization of how deep he was in crashing over him in waves. He heard Naruto shout his name, but Sasuke kept running, the only thought in his mind was that _he had to get back to his car._ He dashed past people, his lips tingling, his heart getting heavier with every step he took away from Naruto. When he finally reached his car, he fell into it with a loud breath of air, panting hard. Then he laid his head down on his steering wheel and groaned. What the hell had he gotten himself into?

**XXX**

**AN: Again, I hoped you lovely people enjoyed this second chapter! Hopefully it didn't drag... .-. ANYWHO! Please, leave a review! Share your hate, share your love, share whatever, because I love it all. Much love,**

**-IC**


	3. A Bit of a Daze

**AN: Hey! I've got some things I'd like to cover:**

**First: As far as reviews go, I effing love you people. Like, you seriously make my day! I want to put you all in little butterfly jars and chat with you all day! (I mean that in the friendliest, least creeper-y way possible.)**

**Second: This chapter is a little bit shorter than the others have been so far but that's because I've been suffering writer's block. I wanted to get ****_something_**** out, so here it is. **

**Third: I have some song in mind if you guys wanna listen to some tunes as you read. ****_Just One Yesterday_**** by Fall Out Boy, ****_Stolen Dance_**** by Milky Chance, and ****_Back Against the Wall_**** by Cage the Elephant**

**Disclaimer: HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAOROERHGPSEIRJNTONHTPITNIOBP. Sorry, that was just me sobbing onto my keyboard. **

**Enjoy!**

**XXX**

Shit. Shit shit _shit_. _Shitshitshitshitshitshit shit!_ Naruto stared helplessly at Sasuke's retreating figure, his heart clenching almost automatically. What the hell? He should be running, ducking for cover, trying to get the hell out of there before Sasuke brought in backup, but all he could do was stare at the raven's retreating form in anguish.

He had gone too far with that kiss.

Which, for some reason, surprised him. It wasn't like Sasuke had turned away, disgusted (who could resist his charm?). Surely it was surprising. It surprised even Naruto, who was known for getting people into bed not even five minutes after meeting them. But this time had been different. This time, it was with an adorable cop that not only made him think about sex, but about what came _after_.

He knew he had fucked up. And as Sasuke's form was suddenly not there anymore, Naruto's heart squeezed almost painfully. He was going to have to see the raven again. No matter what it took.

-O-

Gaara watched as Naruto stumbled angrily into Hinata's apartment, his red hair a wild mess, his eyes squinted like they always did when he was seriously contemplating something. Rubbing his finger over his fake eyebrow, Gaara viewed in frustration as Naruto began to pace the room. He honestly did not know anyone who could hide their emotions _less_ than Naruto. It was almost as if he over exaggerated them, as if to give a show. Gaara wished he could tell Naruto that they didn't need him to put on an act. Hinata looked up from her book, her wide, light eyes running worriedly over the tense man.

"Naruto?"

"Hm? Yeah?" He asked, glancing at her.

"What happened out there? You didn't meet any police officers did you?"

Naruto's eyes got wide and then he started laughing, almost hysterically. "Did I see any police officers?" He then rubbed his large palm across his defined face.

"He not only _saw_ a police officer," Jiraiya commented from the kitchen table, "he fucked one silly."

Karin glanced up in interest at the word. "He _does_ have that 'wild sex' hair at the moment."

"Moron, his hair is always like that," Suigetsu argued back, throwing the remote at Karin. She caught it and growled at Suigetsu, then picked up a candle.

Suigetsu's eyes widened. "Karin, you crazy bitch, put that down."

Hinata glared at the two before she turned back to Naruto. "Answer the question, Naruto. Did you see any police officers?"

Finally the blonde fell to the couch, bouncing Kiba slightly as he furiously played on his DS. "Yes, I saw a police officer. It was the one from yesterday." He hid his head under a pillow as Jiraiya cackled and Hinata and Gaara shouted. He could _feel_ the fury pouring off them, because they both knew, they all knew, that it wasn't a quick run-in. They knew that he had been seeking him out. That he had consciously gone back to the last place Hinata had lived. On record, anyway.

"Naruto, you idiot! You…!" Hinata squealed at him, her face turning pink in her effort not to scream at him. Gaara's eyes turned cold.

"Do you understand the amount of danger you've put all of us in?" The redhead asked, turning his icy gaze on the cowering criminal. Naruto, at those words, stood up.

"Look, we aren't exactly _safe_, Gaara." He said lowly, not meeting his intimidating stare. "I mean, come on. If I came home spot free, then how bad could it be?" He asked quietly, scratching behind his back.

"He could have planted something! He could have followed you home. For all we fucking know, this apartment is surrounded by the SWAT team right now! Naruto, do you ever think of someone other than yourself?" Gaara spit, standing up and taking an angered step forward.

Hands flying in the air, Naruto locked his jaw. "I _always_ think of this team first, Gaara. You know that."

The redhead's eyes softened and his shoulder's relaxed slightly. "Then what happened this time?"

Naruto ran his tongue over his teeth, then stopped when he remembered Sasuke doing that. Instead he shrugged, looking out the window. "Shit, if I know. He… He makes me just…" The blonde collapsed onto the couch once more, his head clunking on the support. "Forget. Today I felt like every other single twenty three year old in the world."

"Flirty and slightly horny?" Jiraiya questioned.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Free. It's hard to feel like you're being pursued by the police when you're sitting there, staring at one pop tomatoes in his mouth." Naruto wrinkled his nose as the memory, grinning slightly.

"But, anyway, I don't think that'll happen again anytime soon. I kissed him and he ran like a bat out of hell."

Hinata turned her sympathetic eyes on him. "It's for the best."

For some reason, those words send a shock of numbness coursing through Naruto's veins.

_No._

He wouldn't let that happen. He had to see Sasuke again. He had to watch the way his eyes crinkled slightly when he blushed. He had to feel the way his hair felt sliding through his fingers. He had to know what he sounded like just waking up, how he ate his soup, where he was ticklish. How he felt moving against him in the heat of their lust. Shaking his head out, he leaned down and started when Akamaru licked his face lovingly. He pet his head once, then glanced at his team.

They were all staring at him.

Even Karin and Suigetsu had stopped in their bickering to watch him.

"Maybe… online dating?" Suigetsu asked, tilting his shoulder to the side as he considered.

"Speed dating is always a good time." Karin added, blocking the kick to her shin with a pillow.

"Personally, being single is just fine." Gaara put in with a grunt.

Naruto was only partly paying attention, his mind lost in the events that had taken place today. He knew he needed to get the fucking cop out of his mind. He knew he had to move on to bigger and better things. Much less dangerous things. But he couldn't. He was still agitated that Sasuke had escaped his clutches without Naruto acquiring his phone number. Oh well. He would find another way to meet the blonde. He had to.

-O-

Sasuke spun lazily in his chair, watching as the room passed by him in a blur of color. He heard his brother's mildly amused voice from his far left, but he didn't bother turning his chair that way. Instead, he watched the clock on the wall. The second hand clicked on and on, reminding him of the hours that slipped by.

"Sasuke, you should listen to me." Itachi said quietly, like he knew something was up. And of course he knew. What didn't he know? Sasuke's mind instantly brought forward answers. He didn't know what Naruto looked like with fifty French fries stuffed in his mouth. He didn't know that Naruto's huge palms were so perfectly calloused that they felt soft. He didn't know that when Naruto kissed someone, he gasped just before their lips met. He _did_ know that his brother was a complete and total idiot, though.

"I know." He replied slowly, turning himself back around so he faced his brother. Itachi's arms were crossed and his eyebrows were nearly touching his hairline.

"What did you do?" he asked quietly, and Sasuke cringed at the disappointment in his voice.

"Lunch. Then I followed him to the park." Sasuke closed his eyes and leaned back in the chair, tucking his legs under his butt then using his arms to propel the chair into a spin. The motion comforted his raging headache. It was the worst feeling. Leaving Naruto was like coming down off the most amazing high you had ever felt.

Itachi scrubbed his hand across his face. "God, Sasuke. Do you understand how illegal that is? How illegal this is?" He indicated, waving his hands around. Then he turned around and stared at the wall, his shoulder's tense. Sasuke sat in quiet anticipation. He knew his brother. His sense of familial loyalty was almost, if not equally, as strong as his sense of justice. He was weighing the scale. Jail the criminals and his brother as an accomplice or let the criminals free along with his brother?

"Keep tabs on them," Itachi said at last, turning his fierce gaze on Sasuke. His hands were clenched, and he looked almost pained. Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief, the air pouring out of him in a rush. Just to make himself feel more in control of the situation, Sasuke had slid a tracker into Naruto's jacket as they were walking next to each other on the bridge. He had decided to wait and see what Itachi said, and depending on the answer he would either a) use the tracking device and hunt down Naruto down, then turn him in, or b) use the tracking device and hunt Naruto down so he could get his number and then maybe fuck him senseless.

He smiled at his brother, standing out of his seat just as Sakura walked in. She smiled pleasantly at the two men, her eyes clear, her body light and bouncy. Sasuke smiled back, even though he was assessing her every move, trying to figure out how much she had heard. Her pink hair was up in a bun and her dress skirt was a little shorter than the one she wore yesterday.

"Hello, Uchihas. How has your day been?" She asked as she refilled her coffee, grabbing a handful of sugar and no cream. Ripping them open, she dumped them cheerily into her coffee. Then she took a testing sip. Cringing, she grabbed a couple more and emptied them into her drink. Turning around, she held her coffee mug with both hands.

"It's a little late in the afternoon for coffee, isn't it?" Itachi asked with a playful grin, flicking his hair out of his face.

Sakura laughed and looked down at her drink lovingly. "It's a bad habit. I can't quit it."

Sasuke instantly thought of Naruto. He couldn't quit him, either.

"Anyway, Sasuke, how did that investigation go?"

Shrugging and tapping his hand against the table, Sasuke said, "Not very well. The house was at least fifty years old, and the lady who answered the door was annoyed that I was talking to her, not nervous or twitchy. Plus, she was about sixty years old. I searched the area, asked around, but no one knows who the Hinata is. I'm beginning to think it's a fake name."

Sakura nodded as she listened, taking a quiet sip of her coffee. "We could put a watch on the house. Spontaneous, of course, so the woman wouldn't have any time to inform any people. Or secretively. Yes, that sounds better." Sakura nodded and took another sip of her steaming coffee, her eyes unfocused. She suddenly snapped them up and grinned.

"You want me to tell Kakashi or do you want to?" Itachi asked, and Sakura looked over at him, as if she had forgotten he was there. Then she shook her head once.

"No! No, don't worry, Itachi. I have to get back to the office anyway. Later, boys." She grinned adoringly at them, and then left the room, leaving a trail of strawberry-scented perfume behind her.

Sasuke glanced over at Itachi, who made wide eyes back at him. "Shit."

"I'm sure she didn't hear anything, Sasuke. We'll be fine."

Sasuke stared worriedly at the door that she had just left. He wasn't as sure as Itachi. He felt his hand tense up, just like it always did when he was stressed. Absentmindedly he rubbed the muscles loose, then grabbed his jacket and left the station without saying a word. He needed time alone. He needed time to think things through. He needed time to stalk Naruto. Checking his watch, Sasuke bypassed his car and instead headed for the bus stop, hunching his head forward against the wind.

Once he was safely inside the bus, Sasuke took out the tracker and turned it on, watching as a red dot appeared on his phone map. He hoped Naruto trusted him enough not to assume that he had slipped a tracker on him. That would ruin his entire plan.

He watched the scenery pass before him, another blur of colors. Then the bus lurched to stop, jerking his pale body forward. He banged his head against the seat in front of him and rubbed it in frustration. Then he checked his map. The red dot blinked dangerously closely to his blue dot, and he stood up fast. Then he jerkily tripped out of the bus, stumbling onto the sidewalk. The red dot was in a building about a block away, and Sasuke used all his will power not to sprint to the location, and instead settled for a fast-paced walk.

When he reached the tall, slightly grimy apartment building, he wasn't that surprised. Weeds blossomed between cracks in the pavement. Cats slinked in and out of the shadows. Soulless eyes stared out at him from the darkened ally beside the building. Suppressing a shiver, Sasuke slid his phone into his jacket pocket.

Walking up the steps, he slowly opened the door, expecting cockroaches to crawl up from the floor. Instead he was met by an over air conditioned room with old red carpet. He closed the door softly behind him and slowly started up the stairs, somehow feeling like Naruto was closer to the sun. It felt right.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, a sign that he was even closer to his target than he could have guessed. He paused on the second floor, glancing around at all the closed doors. He could knock on all of them, and he was about to when someone tapped him on the shoulder. Jumping and turning around, Sasuke barely registered a shock of white hair before he felt a stinging pain erupt on his cheek.

Then blackness greeted him with open arms.

-O-

"Shit," Jiraiya stared down at the cop, his dark locks tumbling gracefully over his head as he lay on the ground. He had just been returning from the vending machine when he saw the unfamiliar figure traipse up the stairs. When he realized it was the cop from yesterday, he had panicked. He winced as he saw a red mark start to show on his jaw.

He then bent low and slung the light-weight police officer over his shoulder. Walking to their apartment, he knocked on the door. Karin answered it, about ready to take a bite of yogurt. Her spoon clattered to the ground, spraying yogurt on her shins.

"What the hell?" she screeched, backing up as he pushed his way into the apartment. She hurriedly closed and locked the door behind him. Her eyes widened as she saw the man's face.

The rest of the team looked up in interest as Jiraiya dumped the cop on the couch. Suigetsu cursed when he recognized his face. Gaara got even paler, and Hinata groaned. Kiba just sniggered. He was still pretty zoned out from the pain medication Hinata had given him.

Jiraiya stared down at the cop, never once imaging having a police officer on his couch. "Someone better go get Naruto," he said gruffly. Suigetsu hurriedly rushed to where the blonde was sulking.

"What the hell happened?" Gaara asked, standing up and leaning over the beauty.

Jiraiya shrugged. "I panicked."

Then Naruto entered the living room, grumbling and glaring at Suigetsu, who was biting his lip. Then the blonde's eyes landed on Sasuke. The reaction rushed to the surface immediately. Relief mixed with confusion and worry. Then anger. He turned on his team, his face red. "Someone fucking explain this before I explode," he said very slowly.

"I saw him walk up our stairs, and he paused at the second floor. So, ya know, I panicked and punched him really hard in the face." Jiraiya explained.

Naruto covered his face with his hands, pushing a sigh from his lips. Then he bent down next to the raven, gently running his hand over Sasuke's defined jaw. "Hinata, go grab an ice pack." Naruto ordered, placing a pillow under Sasuke's head, almost groaning when he felt Sasuke's feather-soft hair again.

Suigetsu nervously tapped his foot, watching as Naruto set the ice pack against the police officer's jaw. Then he winced when Naruto turned around, his stance filling the living room and scaring the shit out of the team.

"Jiraiya, why the hell would you bring him here?" Naruto growled, but he couldn't hide the way his eyes drifted towards the cop and softened.

"Would you rather have had me leave him out there?" Jiraiya asked back, with almost as much attitude.

Hinata stared anxiously between the two, absentmindedly grabbing Kiba's hand as she watched the exchange. Kiba's face instantly grew red and he grinned over at Hinata.

"No! But I mean, Jesus. What are we supposed to fucking do?"

"Gangbang?"

Jiraiya groaned as Naruto socked him in the stomach. Then he leaned against the wall, grinning through his pain.

"Wait?" Karin suggested, watching as everyone processed her idea. Suigetsu opened his mouth to argue, but for once he couldn't disagree with her. Naruto finally sank to the ground next to Sasuke's limp form, much like a guard dog to its master. Then they waited. And waited. And waited. Complete silence filled the room, and time seemed to stretch out for hours, days, months. Naruto was about to break the silence when he felt a stir behind him. Turning around, his eyes widened.

Then Sasuke shot up with a gasp.

-O-

Sakura leaned back against the wall of the station, holding her warm coffee mug to her chest. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she could still heard Sasuke and Itachi faintly talking. Then one of them left the room. The hand holding her drink shook slightly as she remembered the conversation she heard.

Sasuke had gone out to the investigation, then had lunch with a wanted criminal. And apparently Itachi knew about it. Neither seemed too keen on fessing up. Sakura chewed on her lip as a stinging jealously burned through her veins. She thought no one was Sasuke's type. She thought that no one was good enough for the raven. Which, to be honest, she was fine with. At least she still had their friendship. But, somehow, learning that he was infatuated with someone else stung.

Discovering that he was infatuated with a wanted criminal _killed_. Not only did it send raging jealously through her body, but it filled her with the worst kind of unease. As a member of the police station, she should turn them both in right away. She should walk straight up to Kakashi and tell him everything. But she couldn't. Something was gluing her to her spot, taking away her ability to move.

She knew that if she turned Sasuke in, he would lose his badge and be sent to jail. That fact alone was hard enough. But she knew that Naruto would also be discovered, therefore _also_ go to jail. And that made it all the worse. Rubbing her forehead with her free hand, Sakura hoped that she hadn't been too suspicious.

She had always been a terrible liar.

Standing up and straightening her skirt, she made herself stand tall. She would keep Sasuke's secret. For now.

**XXX**

**AN: Okkkkaaaaaayyyy. I'm not too happy with this chapter, but I'm not really sure why; I feel like it's too... boring? Bland? So, please, please let me know how it was with a review! I love the support, but futhermore, you guys do really help me know if what I'm doing is working or not. So, thank you for that. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter, sorry for it's shorter length. Thanks so much! Much love,**

**-IC**


	4. The Phone Call

**AN: Hey! Again, loving the reviews from you amazing people. I can't get enough of what you guys have to say, so please TELL ME WHATS ON YOUR MIND. Heh. Anywho, this chapter is of obvious shortness, but I'll touch base on that in the ending AN (which you guys might wanna check out)**

**Warnings: Cursing and *(maybe?:":_% some sexual themes?:)"{+)(* **

**Disclaimer: I currently have Naruto and Sasuke on my boobs. I think that counts for something.**

**XXX**

The first thing Sasuke registered as he awoke was the creamy color of the ceiling above him. It was like birthday cake. The next thing he noticed was the pain. It smashed into him, bringing with it dizziness and nausea. Jackknifing up, Sasuke grabbed his stomach to keep from vomiting. Then he saw a wild mess of red hair. His gut twisted as he took in Naruto; shirtless and wonderfully, perfectly bare. Of stage contacts, that is. His blue eyes shone with full force as he took Sasuke in, the heat of his gaze lighting the raven's cheeks on fire. Then he registered another thing: he was sitting on a couch surrounded by a gang of criminals.

While he wasn't afraid of Naruto, he certainly was afraid of the tall, white haired man who had knocked him out. And the blonde playing on his DS looked pretty strong, too.

"What in the sane hell?" Sasuke asked breathlessly, pushing his back up against the couch in fear.

Naruto's eyes softened and he reached out to Sasuke before he seemed to remember something, and pulled back. "I'd explain it to you if I could, but I can't. How about you start, and I'll finish?"

Sasuke bit his lip, letting his eyes roam over Naruto's chest. He wasn't as filled out as he had expected, but somehow his lack of extreme muscle made him all the more approachable. As he came to the middle of Naruto's chest, he found something intriguing. He had a tattoo, of swirling lines, almost like a vortex, around his navel. The sight made his blood boil further and his bit his lip, hard. His eyes snagged on a blue crystal hanging from a leather cord around his neck. An urge to grab it and smash their mouths together rose inside of Sasuke, but he sat on his hands instead and turned away.

Neji's cousin was standing there, in a ridiculous wig with at least ten pounds of makeup on. But it was her eyes that had given her away. They were so wide and light they couldn't belong to any other family.

"I slipped a tracker in your jacket," Sasuke began slowly, watching as confusion played across Naruto's face. "I figured that I would be able to find you later if things… went wrong." Sasuke said, his face flaming.

"I decided to see where you lived, and I came here. I was walking up to the second floor when he," Sasuke said, pointing at Jiraiya, "tapped me on the shoulder then knocked me out. What happened next?"

Naruto clicked his tongue ring against his teeth, an act that made blood pool in Sasuke's groin. He quickly grabbed a pillow. "Well, I was in my room, but –" Naruto was cut off by Jiraiya, who offered Sasuke a drink of water as he came over and sat down next to him on the couch. This close, Sasuke could see the layer of foundation the team had applied to his tattoos. With all their appearances changed, Sasuke found it difficult to remember who was who.

"Then, once I had knocked you out, I slung you over my shoulder and brought you in here. And that's when Naruto started fussing over you like a mama to its baby."

Naruto blushed furiously, his hand circling the crystal hanging from his neck. Sasuke watched in interest, almost sure that Naruto hadn't worn that at the bank or the park. Taking a refreshing sip of water from the cup, he noticed a certain lack of natural light in the room and glanced out the window. The sun was quickly setting, and night was taking over.

Dread curled in his stomach like a snake ready to strike.

Naruto took notice and glanced out the window. "Hey, it's ok, Sasuke. You can spend the night here…" He trailed off as he watched the toll his words took on the police officer's face.

"I can't stay here," Sasuke said quietly, standing up too quickly. The blood rushed quickly from his head and he lost his sight and balance momentarily. Strong, tan arms wrapped around his wrists and held him upright. Glancing over at Naruto, Sasuke felt his tongue stick in this throat.

"I can't stay here," he repeated helplessly, his feet unmoving.

"Why not?" Naruto asked softly, his eyes pleading.

The gang watched the exchange with ill-hidden awe, only seeing Naruto act this way once before. Hinata came forward and placed her hand on Naruto's shoulder, startling him into looking away from the cop.

"Let him go, Naruto." She said softly, knowing the natural blonde would do no such thing. Still, it wouldn't kill to try.

"You know, he doesn't seem _so_ bad," Karin said lightly, her eyes running up and down Sasuke's form dreamily. "I wouldn't mind letting him stay the night." Suigetsu took notice and growled, turning away in with an annoyed _harrumph._

Kiba looked up from his DS rolling his eyes. "Let the men live, guys. It's not like we all exactly have a lot of time to enjoy life."

Naruto glanced over at Kiba, who smiled kindly at him. A fierce love filled his gut and he hugged the brunette gently, watching with care for his wound.

Sasuke watched the whole thing with a hot jealousy burning in his eyes. Gaara took notice and glared coldly at the cop. He didn't trust the raven haired man. He didn't want him camping out in their, well, Hinata's apartment. But everyone else seemed to be agreeing to his stay. Was he the only one on his team in his right mind?

"I don't trust him." Gaara spoke lowly, and Sasuke's gaze clashed with his. He could see the unease pouring in waves off the man, and somehow that made Gaara happy. He should not be comfortable around these kinds of people. He should know that people like him didn't hang out with people like them.

"I should go, Naruto." Sasuke said, but he couldn't take his eyes off the blonde. It was like he had been starving for ages, and just the sight of Naruto made him feel whole again.

It unnerved him.

Shifting awkwardly on the couch, Sasuke wondered how the hell he was going to get out of this.

-O-

Itachi stared at his phone screen in frustration. His brother hadn't picked up. He had called him at least ten times, and he still hadn't picked up. He had watched his younger brother leave the station, assumed that he was leaving for his flat. But, once the workday had been up, Itachi had noticed with worry that his brother's car was still parked in the garage.

Neji had took notice too, and looked over at Itachi with a frown. "Where's Sasuke?" he had questioned, his light eyes still plagued with purple bags from his sleepless night before. He had been relatively quiet at work today.

"I have no clue whatsoever," Itachi growled, the annoyance at his brother's stupid antics making him clench his fists. Neji shrugged, then got into his own car and drove away. Sakura and Ino came out, laughing with each other. Sakura waved to Itachi before she hopped in Ino's car. Then came Kakashi. He glanced at Sasuke's car in confusion, his one visible eye catching both of Itachi's.

"Where's he?" Kakashi asked, pulling the door behind him with a click.

"Probably off on the investigation," Itachi had lied, horrified at the bitter way it tasted on his tongue. "He said that the pedestrians took note of his car, so he probably took the bus."

Kakashi eyed Itachi before shrugging and heading to his car. "I'll trust the man, even though that plan sounds downright stupid." Then he pulled out of the garage without a second thought.

Now, Itachi stared at his clear phone screen, worry growing rapidly in his chest. He knew that his little brother had either gone off to a bar to sulk, or gone off to find that criminal blonde. He couldn't figure out which, because each seemed as likely as the other. He knew his brother wasn't stupid; he wouldn't get himself into a situation that he wouldn't be able to make it out of. He _was_ a trained police officer, after all. But still. Itachi worried as he sat on his couch, watching the TV on mute in case his phone went off. It didn't. Sighing, Itachi bit his lip before he shut off the TV; made sure the volume on his phone was turned up all the way, and then went to sleep.

-O-

To say the least, things weren't going well over at Hinata's. After Gaara's admission, Naruto had exploded on him, Hinata had gotten frustrated to the point of tears, which made Kiba spring into action, which only added to the yelling, and then Suigetsu decided he didn't want Sasuke there and when Karin demanded why all he could do was glare at her. Sasuke sat back in stunned silence as the noise grew and grew until it was almost deafening. Jiraiya sat on the kitchen table, an annoyed expression on his face. When he caught Sasuke looking, he rolled his eyes playfully.

Smiling, Sasuke felt some of his unease melt off his body. He knew he could sneak out now; it was the perfect time, perfect place. He could sneak out and put Naruto behind him. He could let the blonde go and continue helping people. He could also put an end to this god awful fighting.

Instead, he sat there like a coward as the gang fought over him. He didn't know what to do; standing up would make him feel stupid, and he was almost positive no one would listen to him. Leaving was of course not even an option, but sitting there quietly didn't seem to be working out to well for him either.

"We could just have a vote," Jiraiya shouted from his spot on the table, clunking his head down on the palm of his large hand. All sound ceased, and Sasuke blessed Jiraiya silently.

"A vote?" Suigetsu asked, his cheeks flushed from yelling.

"Yeah. Like, raise your hand if you want to keep Mr. Cop for Naruto, or raise your hand if you want to kick Mr. Cop out for Naruto." Jiraiya explained, waving his hand to get a fly out of his face.

"That… wouldn't be too bad," Hinata hesitantly agreed, biting her lip.

The others shrugged, and Jiraiya sat back, pleased with himself.

"Alright, all for Sasuke staying?"

Jiraiya, Kiba, Karin, and Naruto all raised their hands. Smirking, Jiraiya shrugged his shoulders.

Suigetsu frowned. "This is all kinds of messed up,"

Karin glared at him, her blonde ponytail swinging. "Since when do you care, Suigetsu? You were all for him until he actually needed our help."

Sasuke raised his finger. "I actually don't need-"

"Why of course you do Sasukeeeeh," Karin cooed, and Suigetsu threw a pillow at her.

"You are the most idiotic bitch I know!" He screamed, and Karin narrowed her eyes at him. Then she tackled him to the ground, and Sasuke quickly pulled his feet up so he wouldn't get pulled into the mess of limbs with them.

"You motherfucking bastard! You always treat me like shit!" Karin shouted, pinning Suigetsu's hands on either side of his head.

"You always _argue_ with me! And _hurt_ me!" He yelled back, kicking her off him.

Karin rolled to the ground only to be pinned down by Suigetsu. His hips were on hers and he had her wrists held above her head with his hands. They were both panting, and Sasuke honestly didn't know if they were about ready to kiss each other or kill each other. He glanced over at Naruto and saw almost the exact same expression on his face. When the blonde saw him looking, he winked.

Blushing and turning away, Sasuke managed to catch Suigetsu lower his face to Karin's. Then both of them were lip-locked and going at it hard. Karin twined her hands in Suigetsu's hair, and he in turn grabbed her gently by the hips, hauling her closer to his body.

Sasuke glanced back to gauge the reaction from everyone else, and, to his surprise, they just seemed amused. He was unsure whether he should just sit on the couch and watch as things between the two on the ground escalated, or if he should instead try to go somewhere else a little… refined.

Naruto took notice and grinned teasingly at him, all signs of previous concern gone. He then stepped lightly over the moaning bundle of limbs on the ground, grabbed Sasuke by his collar, and dragged him to what the police officer assumed was his room.

It was painted a light orange, something that irritated the raven's eyes. He had a dark blue comforter, and despite a small bedside table equipped with a reading lamp and what looked like a notebook, the room was sparse.

"Sorry for that little scene out there," Naruto spoke casually, as if the last hour and a half had not just happened. As if Sasuke had not run away from his kiss at the park. As if they were both just regular people doing regular things.

It was nice.

However, as nice as it was, it was also madly confusing, and Sasuke didn't take a farther step into the room. He had to settle some things with Naruto before he let himself get any more tangled in this stupefying mess.

"Why aren't you moving? I don't have bombs rigged around my room, ya know," Naruto said lightly, grinning as he sat down on his bed.

"I need to ask you some questions, before we… before anything else happens. Why did you kiss me?"

Naruto's playful face instantly vanished, but he recovered quickly. He ran his tongue over his lips, and Sasuke saw the glint of his tongue ring flash, like a perverse little wink. "I wanted to," he answered finally, scratching behind his neck.

Sasuke didn't know what to think of that answer. For all he knew, Sasuke could be using him just so he wouldn't get arrested. He could be playing some kind of sick joke on Sasuke, and he would never know. As much as he hated the idea, he hated the thought of never seeing Naruto again even more. It was that thought that unnerved him the most.

Naruto chewed on his lower lip, and Sasuke wanted nothing more than to smash their lips together and give in to his deep, fiery passion. He was scared. He had never felt this much for someone in such a little amount of time. And he knew, in the far corners of his mind, that their relationship – whatever it was – would not end well. The thought did nothing but stoke the fires of his passion more.

"Why aren't you scared of me?" Sasuke asked, reaching up to fiddle with his lip.

"Because you're a scrawny son of a bitch and I _know_ I could take you down in a fight." Naruto joked, standing up and taking a short, almost flirty step forward.

Sasuke felt all the breath lodge up in this throat and he went completely still as Naruto casually placed his hands on either side of his face. This close, Sasuke could see a bit of foundation on the blonde's cheeks, and he squinted in confusion before he lifted his thumb and wiped it off on one cheek. There wasn't much of a difference, but Sasuke could see three faint lines of scares marring the criminal's cheeks. Swallowing, he did the same to the other cheek and found the exact same marks, almost identical to the ones on his other cheek.

He had seen scars before. All sizes and shapes and textures. He knew when there was a purpose behind a scar. And right away, he could tell that Naruto's scars were made by knives. They were smooth and perfect, and the blade had been sharp enough that it had almost been _surgical_. Sasuke made eye contact with Naruto, who had watched the raven process his marks.

"How?" Sasuke asked softly, and Naruto grinned, shaking off the horrors that the memories brought forth.

Instead, to shut the raven up only, Naruto pressed his lips against Sasuke's.

-O-

Sakura stared at her wall, then looked down at her phone, held lightly in her slender hands. She should call Sasuke. She should tell him that she knew, and that they needed to talk. She wouldn't make it obvious that, of course, she would do anything for him. She would make him think about his actions, and hopefully make him squirm enough to realize how stupid he was being. Kakashi wasn't a stupid man, and he would figure it out, sooner or later. She was hoping she could convince Sasuke that dating wanted criminals was against the law by then.

Sighing, she picked up the phone and dialed Sasuke's number. She waited as the ringing in her ear grew more annoying. Then, on the fourth ring, Sasuke picked up.

"Hello?" He answered, sounding breathless and rushed.

Blinking in surprise, Sakura swallowed. "Hi, Sasuke. I wanted to talk to you about some things… Regarding the investigation."

Sasuke was suddenly quiet. Then there was a soft, muffled gasp on the other end of the line. "Sasuke?" Sakura asked, worry leaking through her voice and over the phone.

"Fine," he panted, and Sakura could swear she heard another person in the background. Again, the burning jealously that had swept through her earlier returned, and she almost threw the phone down in agony.

"What are you doing?" She demanded, but she only got a soft groan in return. Then there was a loud, mangled cry and a victorious snicker. Sakura's cheeks turned pink and she was tempted to hang up. However, she couldn't just _not_ listen to the beautiful, arousing sounds Sasuke was making. They were driving her crazy already. So she stayed silently on the line, convinced that Sasuke had quite forgotten about his phone.

"God," Sasuke moaned loudly, and there was a bang. Then a deep, poorly contained groan. "Fuck, _please_, please, _God!_"

"You like that, huh? Kinky little bastard," a deep voice chuckled. Sakura was too wrapped up in listening to Sasuke to try and imagine who the other male could have been. There was a slight sucking sound, then another garbled moan from Sasuke. The panting increased until Sakura thought he might hyperventilate, then a loud cry.

"Yes! _Yes, Naruto! _God, just like that – ngh – yes, yes, _yesyesyesyesyes_," then there was a loud gasp, and Sasuke was coming. Sakura knew this by the strained scream he gave, making her shiver down to the bones. It only took a couple of seconds to realize the name he had screamed.

Naruto.

Quickly pressing the end button, Sakura took a deep, panicked breath and looked up. What the hell was she going to do?

**XXX**

**AN: Heheheheeheheh. This chapter was short again, I know, I know. Please don't throw virtual tomatoes at me. This was a kind of... filler chapter? Fun/ish chapter? At first I was just writing to write and then this happened. I decided since you guys are so cool, I would write what was happening on the ****_other_**** end of the line... IF you review. If not, then you guys will just have to go without :) Thank you for reading! Much love, **

**-IC**


	5. FMK

**Author's Note- **The reviews were literally so amazing. Some of them seriously made me laugh. YOU GUYS ARE GREAT! Hopefully this chapter suffices length wise? LETS GET THAT COW! ALSO:::::: If you guys would like song suggestions for the chapter, I have:**_Think About It _****by American Authors, ****_Chloe_**** by Grouplove, and ****_Emmylou_**** by Vance Joy. (in that order so they make sense)**

** Warnings: SEXUAL THEMES AND ACTIONS AHEAD! BOYXBOY AND CURSING! Please, do not read if you are homophobic. **

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, Naruto and Sasuke did not grace my boobs today.

**XXX**

Naruto's lips felt like seven kinds of heaven against Sasuke's, and he moaned softly, his teeth tugging on his plump lower lip. Then Naruto's tongue snaked into his mouth, and he brushed his tongue piercing against the pad of Sasuke's own tongue. That was about when Sasuke stopped paying attention to reality.

"God," He panted into Naruto's mouth, his hands tangling in his hair. The blonde smiled at him, then slowly broke apart their kiss to attack his neck, causing the raven to arch his neck with a moan. He didn't even know what he was doing. He didn't care. Naruto nibbled on his neck slightly and Sasuke whimpered and grinded his hips into Naruto's. The groan that the blonde gave ignited his blood further, and he didn't notice the vibrating in his pocket for a second. Then he frowned and gasped as Naruto attached his mouth to his neck again.

Thinking it was Itachi, Sasuke tried to push Naruto away as he fished his phone out of his pocket. "Hello?" he asked, and he knew he sounded weird. Naruto smirked at him and licked his lips, the motion sending even more blood straight to his straining erection. Sakura's voice filled his ears, and he allowed himself a moment's confusion before Naruto was on him again, biting his neck. His arm fell lip and he bit his lip, hard. Then Naruto slid his hands up and under Sasuke's shirt, eliciting an uncontrollable gasp from the raven. He could faintly hear Sakura's voice on the line and hurriedly put it back up to his ear.

"Sasuke?" she asked, and Sasuke was momentarily distracted by Naruto teasingly tracing his hand around his nipples. He opened his mouth in a silent moan. Then he answered her quickly.

"Fine," he said, and Naruto growled. At the sound, Sasuke released a soft groan and his head hit the back of the wall.

"Why don't you just hang up?" he demanded, pinching Sasuke's nipples roughly.

He instantly arched up with a cry that he couldn't even try to contain, and his phone dropped out of his hand and he grabbed his own hair. Naruto snickered up at him before he quickly pulled his shirt over his head, leaving both of them bare chested. It was getting quite difficult to breathe at this point, and Sasuke almost passed out when he saw the criminal drop to his knees in front of him. When he put his hand on his zipper, he was surprised he hadn't come ten times over.

"God," he said quietly, taking deep breaths in an attempt to control himself. Then his pants came down, and with them, his dignity.

Naruto whistled under his breath as he took in Sasuke's size, his eyes appraising. Sasuke wasn't able to bask in the appreciation, for he was too busy writhing on the wall like a schoolboy.

Then he was encased in Naruto's mouth, and he was convinced that this was what heaven felt like. "Fuck, _please,_ please, God," he moaned, arching off the wall and into Naruto's deliciously warm mouth. He had never felt this much pleasure with anyone else; this was ridiculously incredible. Naruto scraped his teeth harshly against his sensitive shaft, causing Sasuke to bang his head back against the wall in pleasure.

"You like that, huh? You kinky little bastard," Naruto growled, eliciting another helpless moan from the raven. Then he gave a mighty suck. And Sasuke was done for. His cry was a mix between a scream of agony and undeniable pleasure, and some other language known to no one else but Sasuke. He couldn't control himself anymore; he would probably die hyperventilating, but he would die one happy bastard.

Naruto licked up the underside of Sasuke's shaft, driving him into a frenzy. Then he pulled him all the way in, so the tip of Sasuke's weeping erection touched the back of Naruto's throat. Then he swallowed.

"Yes! Yes, Naruto! God, just like that – ngh – yes, yes, yesyesyesyesyes," Sasuke screamed, his hands tangling roughly in Naruto's hair as he felt the coil inside him become dangerously tight and tingly. He gave one final gasp in defeat as Naruto swallowed again, and then he was coming. He didn't remember screaming, but he was almost positive that he did. He collapsed in a senseless heap, held up by Naruto, who was looking almost as satisfied as Sasuke felt. He wanted to return the favor, wanted to bend low and make Naruto scream the way he had, but he just as he had those thoughts he felt Naruto dump him onto the bed. Then he felt covers come up over his bare torso, and realized that Naruto was tucking him in. The gesture was so comforting that Sasuke literally reached out to touch Naruto's gentle face before his eyelids grew too heavy for him, and sleep welcomed him with open arms.

-O-

Naruto grinned adoringly at Sasuke before he realized what he was doing. He promptly stopped, and turned away before he could do any more ego-shrinking actions. He still had a raging erection that needed desperate attention, but for some reason he was more interested in Sasuke's phone. The screen was black, and Naruto prayed silently that there was no lock, but instead of a lock screen there were ten 'Missed Call' notifications, all from Itachi. Frowning, Naruto wondered when the raven's brother could have called. It definitely hadn't been when they were romping on the wall – that had been a girl, from the voice pitch. As Naruto thought it over, he realized that it must have been during the period of time that Sasuke had been passed out. Chewing on his lip, Naruto contemplated calling Itachi back. Then he paused.

What the hell was he thinking?  
Sasuke surely hadn't told anyone about their little… relationship? Acquaintanceship? Whatever it was, Naruto knew it had remained a secret on Sasuke's side.

The thought saddened him more than he'd like to admit.

Shrugging, as if that would help throw the pain running through his veins right off, Naruto noticed with slight disappointment that his throbbing member had quieted down at the thought of Sasuke's secret.

Running his hand absently over his cheek, he couldn't help but look back at Sasuke. The man was infuriatingly observant. He was a cop, after all. Naruto bit his lower lip and tried to push the violent memories from his mind, but they came forth anyway, a catastrophe to his brain.

_Flashback_

_Naruto blinked his eyes slowly open, feeling the drugs in his system weigh his limbs down heavily; it was almost like being paralyzed. Almost as terrifying. Striving to shake the fogginess from his mind, Naruto tried to glance around so he could get a grasp of his surroundings and found that his head was strapped down. Then he suddenly realized he was lying horizontally, on a cold metal table. Panic wrapped a tight fist around his heart and squeezed. _

_He tried to take deep, calming breaths, but failed horribly. There was a dark chuckle from his right, and Naruto thrashed violently. He had never been this scared in his entire life. _

_Opening his mouth, Naruto attempted to speak, or scream, but found that his mouth was gagged. His eyes widened as the feeling of total, complete helplessness folded over him. He tried to think back to how he had gotten in this situation._

_Walking. Yes, he had been walking. Walking home from his college classes. Hinata had invited the gang over. He had been in a good mood. Then… someone had come up behind him, and… that's where his memories skidded to a stop. _

_"__You must be confused, hm?" an oily voice questioned from the shadows. Naruto squirmed._

_There was a chuckle, and then the owner of the voice stepped into his line of sight. In the dim lighting, Naruto could only make out two distinct features: the man's eyes, for they were narrowed and a dark, almost puss yellow, and his long, ink black hair. _

_Shrinking away, Naruto tried to pull his hands to his face, but was not surprised when he found them to be constrained too. He wanted to open his mouth and scream at the man, to ask him what was going on, to ask him why. _

_"__Do you want answers?" He asked softly, the sound of his voice like the dry skin of a snake against leaves. _

_Naruto gave one solid, terse nod._

_Chuckling, the man leaned back and inspected his finger nails. "You _do_ know Sai, don't you?"_

_At the mention of the pale skinned, dark haired boy, Naruto went completely still. His eyes snapped over to the man's menacingly, and he resisted the urge to cringe away._

_Instead, he gave another short nod._

_The man smiled approvingly, then smashed his hands violently against the metal table, startling Naruto into yelping into the cloth. However, the man didn't take notice, to wrapped up in the insane rage swirling in his disturbing eyes. Fear pooled low in Naruto's stomach, like a spilled cup of hot sauce. _

_"__Well, he owes me. He's written up far too many IOU's. His time and my patience are very obviously _up_." The man growled, then his face smoothed out and he smiled down at Naruto. "Please, do not take this personally. You are a mere pawn within this rather gory game, unfortunately." He turned away for a second, rummaging through a box of what sounded like metal objects. _

_Naruto's mind was racing. What the hell had Sai done? What was going on? What did he mean by IOU's?_

_"__It would help if you held perfectly still. Otherwise the scars will be uglier than I anticipated." He said as he turned around. A gleaming knife shone in the light, and Naruto felt like vomiting. _

_"__You must understand," the man said calmly, his hand bringing a cloth to the knife and shining it. "I won't kill you. In fact, I'll actually be giving you an ice breaker. Scars always have stories. Yours will be… a bit gruesome. You can switch the story, if you prefer." _

_Naruto barely heard him, too focused on the gleaming weapon in the man's hand. Then it lowered slowly to his face and before Naruto could do anything, there was a stinging pain on his cheek. He gasped, and the knife was removed. _

_"__That wasn't so bad, now was it?" the man asked politely, wiping off the blood on the knife. Naruto was too shocked to process what was happening. "Five more to go."_

_And so, five more unbelievably clean cuts across Naruto's drugged face, he was suddenly set free. The man steadied him as he plundered around, completely unable to process anything. His fear had somehow left him in his complete state of shock, and all he felt was a small trickle of blood coming from the six new wounds on his face. He looked up at the guilty man, who did not show one sign of remorse. Instead he got out medical products and began cleaning the cuts, and Naruto was too stunned, and drugged, to do anything but let him._

_"__You're so well behaved," the man commented lightly. Then he stepped back and examined his work. He hummed once, flicked his hand over the lowest cut on Naruto's left cheek almost in disappointment. "Not as straight as I'd like it to be…" he muttered softly under his breath. Then he turned on his heel and put the equipment away. _

_Then he returned with a syringe filled with clear liquid. Smiling at Naruto, he waved before he stuck the needle into the vein in his arm. He faintly registered pain before he could see nothing but black once more. _

_End Flashback_

Shivering, Naruto ran his hands once more over his cheeks, watching as Sasuke slept peacefully. The moon shone through his window, illuminating the room in a soft, pale glow. Sasuke groaned softly, his eyes squinting, before his beautiful face smoothed out in sleep. Swallowing, Naruto decided he wouldn't be able to watch his raven sleep without attacking him, and moved out of the room. He paused halfway out. Sasuke wasn't his raven. The raven. Sasuke was _the_ raven.

Scowling at himself, Naruto pulled the door closed behind him and saw that only Hinata and Kiba were still up. Hinata was reading something, and had removed her wig and makeup. Kiba was attempting to play on his DS again, but he couldn't seem to stop glancing up at Hinata. Naruto felt almost bad for entering the living room, knowing how badly Kiba had it for the short haired girl.

As he stepped into the living room, he smiled slightly at the two of them, suddenly unsure of just how soundproof Hinata's walls were. He sent out a silent prayer that no one had heard anything, and sat down in the plush blue armchair across from the two on the couch.

Hinata blushed when she saw him, which did not bode well with him. Then Kiba glanced up at him and smirked.

"What the hell did you do that poor guy?" Kiba asked, snickering. Naruto felt a blush rising violently fast, but pushed it down fast. They had heard him have sex before, much less give a blowjob. This was nothing.

So why did it feel like something?

"You guys heard it, didn't you?" Naruto asked, crossing his hands behind his head and winking.

"I think half the city of New York heard it," Kiba remarked snidely.

Hinata blushed and lightly hit him on the arm, which made Kiba grin madly.

"You certainly were… loud." She said finally, biting her lip as she looked over at the smug blonde.

"I would have been ashamed if his reactions were any less vocal," Naruto replied, raising his eyebrows. "How far did it get with Karin and Suigetsu?"

Kiba out right laughed at the question, and even Hinata let out a soft smile. "They went into Karin's room, but I have no idea how far they went."

"Yeah, Sasuke's screaming drowned out any noise they could have been making," Kiba laughed, then dodged a pillow to his head.

"Everyone else went to bed." Hinata finished, rolling her eyes adoringly at Kiba.

Naruto nodded and stared at his closed doors, a feeling of affection rolling inside him. He could barely think about how stupid he was when he was around Sasuke; he was just too damn distracted. He knew in the back of his mind that he had of course broken one of the most important rules of his… profession. The first thing Jiraiya had ever told him was that he should never be in the company of a policeman. Under zero circumstances. A fly landed on his hand and he swiped it away, annoyed and still slightly troubled. He understood why he was so okay with Sasuke's presence, but he was still confused as to why his team (most of them, anyway), were okay with letting the _police officer_ stay inside their house.

Glancing over at Hinata and Kiba, Naruto bit his lip. They were both decently trusting, and Hinata was definitely level headed. But she didn't seem as hot-tempered as she had before. She hadn't voted for Sasuke, and hadn't said one word to the man, but he knew that if she strongly believed that Sasuke shouldn't be here, she'd press the matter. Same with Gaara. Still, he wanted to know what had softened them up to the adorably shy police officer. He posed the question to Hinata.

She looked up from her book, eyes wide. Then she shrugged. "If he was any real threat, we'd already all be behind bars. Besides, with the way he was looking at you, and from the sounds coming from your bedroom, I'd say he likes you. A lot. Enough to not turn you in, even though it's his job."

Kiba glanced up, raising his eyebrows. "Plus, I know it would kill Naruto if he left. I mean, look at him. He can't keep his eyes from that door." Kiba snickered and went back to playing his DS as Naruto blushed a bright red.

Then, almost as if on cue, Sasuke stepped out of the room, looking like the exact picture of sex. His hair was ruffled and fluffy, his chest was bare, and he had on a pair of Naruto's sweatpants that hung low on his hips. When he saw everyone looking, his face flushed and he made as if to step back into the room until Naruto held out his hand.

"Come on," he said with a grin, patting the spot beside him. "They don't care,"

Sasuke bit his lip and quickly glanced over at Hinata and Kiba, who had put down the book and DS to look at him. Hinata was still a bit wary, but she smiled softly anyway. Kiba just grinned. He was always grinning.

After Sasuke sat down next to Naruto, Kiba snapped his DS closed and studied the two as Naruto glared at him. Hinata glanced over at Kiba curiously, and the room was deathly silent. Finally, Kiba broke the silence.

"Did you enjoy that… proclamation?" Kiba asked; smiling as Sasuke's face turned the color of the tomatoes he loved so much. The cop then promptly hid his face behind the couch pillow to his left. Naruto glared over at Kiba, flipping him off.

He placed his hand on Sasuke's back, smiling softly when he felt the muscles there relax slightly. "Wanna go back to my room?"

Sasuke nodded quickly.

Kiba just snickered again, waving daintily with his fingers as the two walked back to Naruto's room. Shutting the door quickly behind him, Naruto grinned sheepishly at Sasuke. He still looked adorably flustered and ruffled, and he was about to tell him so when his eyes landed on Sasuke's phone by the bed. Itachi. Running his tongue over his lip, Naruto nodded to the phone. "After you fell asleep, I checked your phone and Itachi called you a bunch of times between eight and nine."

Sasuke's eyes widened. "Shit," he cursed under his breath, scrambling for his phone. Picking him up, he unlocked it too quickly for Naruto's eyes to catch. Then he pressed the phone to his ear and stared worriedly out the window and into the night.

"Hey, Itachi," Sasuke said, then winced. "I know, I'm sorry… I was…" He glanced back at Naruto, worry lining his eyes.

Naruto bit his lip. Telling his police officer older brother that he was knocked out by hooligans was not the _best_ idea. He quickly glanced around his room. His eyes landed on a dirty pair of underwear and he lost his train of thought as he felt a wave of embarrassment wash over him.

"Running. Yeah, my phone's on vibrate." Sasuke rolled his eyes at Naruto's uselessness and nodded, then realized Itachi couldn't see him. "Yes, I'm fine. Alright, love you too. 'Bye."

Sasuke set the phone down and watched as Naruto tried to coolly slide his dirty underwear behind his back. Raising one fine eyebrow, Sasuke watched with amusement as Naruto casually tossed the underwear into his dirty clothes hamper.

"So, I take it Itachi was concerned?" he questioned, sitting gracelessly down on his bed.

Sasuke watched as he bounced and shrugged. "More sleepy than anything. He's become such an old fart."

Naruto grinned at the saying, then glanced around his room, unsure of what to do. Sasuke wasn't a friend (not yet anyways), which made Naruto feel as though he had to entertain him the whole time. Whether it was board games or a show on TV, Sasuke had to be enjoying himself at least a little bit, at all times, or the whole night had been a disaster.

"What do you wanna do?" Naruto asked, and Sasuke immediately blushed. Naruto stared at him in confusion until realization poured over his brain. Then he blushed, too.

"Uh, I don't really like board games." Sasuke said, biting his lip almost apologetically. Naruto refrained from balking at him; he loved board games. Instead he shrugged playfully and pat the spot beside him on the bed.

"We can sit around and play word games like girls at slumber parties, if that's what you prefer." Naruto grinned and flicked a dust ball off his bed. "Do you want to play Truth or Dare or FMK?"

Sasuke frowned. "What's FMK?"

"Fuck, marry and kill." Naruto answered helpfully, laughing at the look on Sasuke's face. "You give someone three people, and they have to choose which one they would rather fuck, marry, and kill."

Sasuke's face cleared in comprehension and he smiled. "Can we do both?"

Naruto nodded, biting his lip as he stared at Sasuke. "Kiba, Gaara, and Suigetsu."

The raven opened his mouth, then chewed on his tongue. He was already blushing like a school girl. "I'd probably… kill Gaara, marry Suigetsu, and… ahem, fuck Kiba."

Naruto felt a small pulse of jealously go through him at that answer, but he laughed it off. "That's reasonable enough. Your turn."

"Same people," Sasuke replied, raising his eyebrows as Naruto squirmed slightly.

"Well, I'd fuck Gaara," he said almost instantly, and Sasuke frowned slightly, otherwise not commenting. "Marry Kiba, and kill Suigetsu."

Sasuke picked at a stray string on the bed. "Any reason?" he asked softly.

"Well, I've already fucked Gaara, so it seemed like a reasonable answer, I wouldn't mind living with Kiba for the rest of my life, and Suigetsu just didn't make the cut this time." Naruto said with a shrug.

Startled at the new information, Sasuke looked up and met Naruto's eyes. He couldn't help but feel the connection zip through them at that moment; it wasn't just lust, it was something _more_. Something that, already, made him curl his toes and make him want to lie down and watch the stars with him.

Naruto smiled softly, pushing a lock of hair out of Sasuke's face. Then he asked, "Hinata, Karin, and Jiraiya."

Sasuke groaned and closed his eyes. "I don't think girls are sexy, Naruto."

"I gave you Jiraiya, too." Naruto argued with a grin.

"He could be my dad!"

"A pretty good looking dad, if you ask me." Naruto laughed when Sasuke punched him on the shoulder.

"Fine. I'd fuck Jiraiya, marry Hinata, and kill Karin."

Naruto burst out laughing and let his head fall face first into the comforter. "That's perfect," he said as he sat up again. Sasuke looked thoroughly annoyed and rolled his eyes as Naruto burst into another fit of laughter.

"I'm sorry," he panted, pushing his hands through his hair as he calmed down. "I wish I could tell Jiraiya,"

"Well you can't," Sasuke snapped, raising his hand to Naruto's face.

"I won't, I won't, but still. It would be the best fucking thing ever."

Sasuke glanced out the window, and the need to lie peacefully with Naruto racked his body. "Uh, does this building have a roof?" he asked, watching as Naruto's whole demeanor change. His back went stiff and his eyes narrowed. The warm air between them fizzled out and dropped about thirty degrees.

"Why do you want to go to the roof?" Naruto asked suspiciously, rising slowly from the bed. Sasuke watched him in confusion until his mind clicked. He was such a fucking idiot. Being with Naruto made him forget who they both were; what kind of position they had both put themselves in.

"No, Naruto, it's not like that." Sasuke said quickly, almost too quickly. He inwardly cringed, but kept his face calm on the outside.

The natural blonde stared warily at him, not moving from his spot across the room. "What is it like, then?" he asked lowly, eyes never wavering.

"I just wanted to look at the stars," Sasuke said lamely, letting his hands fall to his sides in defeat. If the blonde decided to kick him out of his house in fear, it would probably end up for the best. Then he froze. Naruto wasn't stupid; he would never throw Sasuke out and let him prance back to the police station with all the information he knew. He would kill him. The thought ran slowly through his veins, numbing his limbs along the way.

Fear planted itself, hard and cold, in Sasuke's stomach. Swallowing around the lump in his throat, Sasuke put his hands up, as if to calm a wild animal. "Naruto, this is not a planned attack."

Naruto's gaze did not soften. He looked stiff and rigid and completely different from the Naruto who had been sitting next to him minutes before on the bed. Instead, he pulled a gun from his dresser and pointed it at Sasuke. Once the gun was aimed at Sasuke's head, his composure began to crack. Fear and regret waged a war in his beautiful eyes, and Sasuke did not dare move. How could he still call his eyes beautiful, even as he held a gun to his head?

"I am not going to shoot you," Naruto said, almost like he was convincing himself, calming himself down. Then he jerked his head towards the door, and Sasuke noticed the hand holding the weapon was shaking.

Sasuke walked slowly to the door, opening it and taking a small step forward. Behind him, Naruto had started to mutter, "Not going to shoot him, not going to shoot him," under his breath like a mantra, and Sasuke fought to keep his control.

Kiba and Hinata looked up, then their eyes widened in shock. Almost instantly, however, they were on their feet, hands up, eyes steely. Sasuke swallowed, trying not to move to prevent any form of danger that he may give off.

"I'm going to check the roof," Naruto said lowly, and Kiba and Hinata glanced at Sasuke before they looked back to Naruto.

"What happened?" Hinata asked, lowering her hands. Kiba still looked on warily.

"He asked if we have a roof," Naruto said, then stopped, sheepish.

Kiba lowered his hands instantly. "He asked if we have a _roof_, and you put a _gun_ to his head?"

Sasuke felt more than saw Naruto's glare, and wanted to agree with him so badly. Instead, he kept his mouth shut.

Hinata glanced down at Sasuke and her eyes softened. "Naruto, you're paranoid. There are no police helicopters on the roof, there's no one here who wants to hurt you. Sasuke isn't Sai." There was a clatter as Naruto dropped the gun, and Sasuke jumped quickly out of the way, in case the safety was turned off. Luckily, it was, and only made a loud clatter as it hit the floor.

"Don't talk about him," Naruto growled out, and Hinata was surprisingly firm.

"Naruto, you need to get over him. I see him in your eyes every day, and it's not _right_. You need to let that all go. You're here now," she said, growing louder and louder. "You are safe and protected and loved. Why don't you see that? Why don't you understand that we are here to do nothing but protect you and stay by your side?"

Sasuke watched with his breath held. He didn't know who Sai was, but he instantly hated him. The feeling spread through his body and twisted his gut violently. He wanted to ask so badly who Sai was, but he knew they would never tell him. He would have to find out later.

Naruto looked at Hinata, and his will was crumbling. His shoulder's slumped forward, his eyes darkened, and his mouth turned down. A different side of Naruto was showing, a darker side, and Sasuke felt himself start.

"It's just," Naruto tried, and then his eyes snapped towards Sasuke. They were filled with fear and trouble, and Sasuke wanted to reach out to him, but the memory of the gun to his head held him back.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke," Naruto apologized rather pitifully, then turned away from him and left the room. Somewhere in the distance a door closed and Hinata bit her lip. She turned with wide eyes to Sasuke.

"What the hell happened in there?"

"I wanted to go look at the stars on the roof," Sasuke said lamely, blushing when Kiba gave him a strange look. "I just wanted to look at the stars with him, I swear. You can even take me out there by gun point if you don't believe me. So I asked if there was a roof and he completely flipped," Sasuke told them, feeling strange now that the blonde wasn't in the room.

Hinata listened to his story with a creased brow. "It wasn't your fault; Naruto's past has given him an overdose of anxiety." She glanced up at his puzzled face. "Though, you probably don't see that side of him as much as we do. You tend to take that out of him." Hinata walked over and poured all of them a glass of water. "Besides, I know for a fact him and building roofs don't mix well."

Kiba took his glass of water and swallowed it in one gulp, shrugging his shoulders. "He probably also just realized what the actual fuck he was doing." Kiba glanced over at Sasuke and grinned. "No offense, Sasuke. You seem cool and everything, but there's still the fact that you're a cop."

Scratching the back of his head, Sasuke just nodded silently, staring at where Naruto had left. He wanted to stand up and run after him, but he somehow knew that that would be the wrong move. Naruto wouldn't have run away if he wanted Sasuke to chase him; he didn't strike him as that kind of person. The three sat in comfortable silence for about a minute before it got awkward. Kiba flipped open his DS and started playing what sounded like Mario Kart, but Hinata just continued to stare at the floor, moving the clear glass cup around her in her fingers. Finally, she looked up at Sasuke.

"How's Neji?" she asked so softly he almost didn't hear it. The question him made him strangely sad. Very few things ever pulled at Sasuke's heartstrings, but for some reason their story made him feel a great sorrow in his bones. They had both missed so much of each other; the paths they had taken had stretched too far apart. Now they could never talk to one another again.

"He's not doing so well, currently." Sasuke answered honestly, watching as Hinata's sweet face fell.

"I wish I could…" Hinata began, then stopped abruptly, her face reddening as her eyes grew watery. "I wish I could just talk to him," she finally whispered, looking at Sasuke.

Nodding his head sadly, Sasuke's eyes were drawn towards where Naruto had left. "I know."

**XXX**

**Author's Note - I am a review begging peasant- and I am not ashamed. But, I do earnestly hope you lovelies enjoyed this chapter, with all it's craziness. Much love, **

**-IC**


	6. Roofies and Buses

**Author's Note - Hello! It's me again! All I can say about this chapter is that I wrote it today, so if the quality isn't as good, that's why. I have a playlist of songs for you, so if you wanna rock out while reading check these out: **_Heart it Races_ by Dr. Dog, _Semi-Automatic _by twenty one pilots, and _High_ by Young Rising Sons.

**Disclaimer: If I had a penny for every episode of Naruto I owned, I'd have zero pennies. **

Sasuke woke violently, blinking fast as his heart pounded and he could feel his breaths sawing in and out. He knew he had just had a nightmare; he could still feel the terror tremors making his hands shake. But he couldn't remember what he had been dreaming of. He remembered slight glimpses of Itachi's face, Naruto's shining blue eyes. That was it. The longer he blinked, the more he woke up. Finally he rolled over and glanced at the neon green numbers shining brightly at him from the alarm clock. It was five forty in the morning. Groaning and rolling over, Sasuke paused when the bed didn't make the familiar squeak his bed always offered. He rolled over some more, waiting for the comforting sound, but it never came. He frowned. Glancing down at his pillow, Sasuke's eyes went wide when he didn't recognize the pillow cover. Then the smell hit him. It was warm and spicy and reminded him of the middle of fall, just slightly spicier. Naruto.

Sasuke jackknifed back up and tumbled from the bed in his haste to remove himself from the aroma. What the hell was he doing in Naruto's bed? As he sat on the criminal's floor, more and more of his memories from the night flittered back to him. Waking up in the apartment. Getting the positive vote to stay. The mind-blowing blow job, passing out. Waking up again. Naruto freaking out and holding a gun to his head. Naruto leaving. That's where it blanked. After that, there was just an inky blackness that was impossible to reach into.

Sasuke stood up groggily, opening the door and stepping out into the small living room. Hinata was already up, and so was Gaara. Hinata was quietly reading a book, her legs tucked under herself. Gaara sat at the counter, drinking from a crystal glass filled with clear liquid. He kept tossing it into his mouth at intervals and closing his eyes slightly. Sasuke blushed when both looked up at the same time.

"Good morning," Hinata said quietly, not quite making eye-contact with him. Gaara just silently stared, kicking back another gulp of the drink.

"Morning," Sasuke replied, not moving from the edge of the living room. The two were making him anxious, just sitting there and staring at him.

"Where's Naruto?" Sasuke asked and Hinata set her book down.

"He came back last night," she said softly, and she looked like she wanted to apologize, but didn't really know how.

"When? Where is he? Why don't I remember going to bed?" Sasuke asked, a slight frown on his face.

"Around one," Gaara said smugly from the counter, blowing hair out of his face. "And he's in my bedroom right now. Sleeping like a baby, I assume."

At first, Sasuke didn't register Gaara's words. Then he felt as if an ice cold bucket of water had been poured over his body. He stopped breathing for a second, and his eyes slowly moved to where Gaara was studying his glass. Hinata looked slightly paler and she quickly stuffed her bookmark in her book and stood up. Sasuke's blood then boiled and he took five large steps across the living room until he was right next to Gaara's face.

"What the hell do you mean by that? And why the fuck can't I remember it?"

Gaara's eyes swiveled over to Sasuke coldly. "I _mean_, that Naruto came back to the apartment last night and went into _my_ bedroom, and…" Gaara cast his eyes over to where Hinata was watching, horrified. "There's a lady in the room, so I'll keep what happened next to myself. After that he fell asleep. As for your memory problem, ask Hinata about that." Gaara shrugged and turned back to his drink.

Sasuke didn't even realize that he had punched Gaara in the face until he felt pain blossom across his knuckles. Gaara had stumbled off his stool and had his hand clutched over his cheek, looking a little confused. Then his eyes zeroed in on Sasuke. And narrowed. Before he knew it, Sasuke was on the floor. There was a swift pain on his cheek, then an intense ache in stomach as Gaara threw his fist into Sasuke's abdomen. Trying to roll over and regain his balance, Sasuke was tripped up again by Gaara's foot. He fell to the floor again with a thud and Hinata yelped. Gaara's fist connected with his face again, and Sasuke finally manage to grab his wrists and kick him in the gut. Gaara gagged and fell off him, rolling over on the floor.

Sasuke lifted himself up on his palms, blinking fast. The left side of his face was ringing with pain, and he could already feel the swelling. Gaara pushed himself up and glared at Sasuke, and then lunged. Sasuke dodged the man, backing himself up against the couch. Hinata was yelling at both of them, and there was a thundering as feet pounded down the stairs. Gaara wrapped his hands around Sasuke's throat and brought him closer, and the stench of vodka filled the raven's nose.

"Last night, when Naruto was writhing under my hands, he looked so fucking hot." Gaara hissed into his face, applying more pressure to his neck, cutting off his airway. Sasuke gagged and tried to land a punch or a kick, but Gaara was using his weight to hold Sasuke down, effectively trapping him. "He does this thing, before he comes, this little gasp-stutter that drives me absolutely crazy." Jealously poured through Sasuke's veins, but that was quickly snubbed out as black spots started forming along the sides of his eyes. "I bet you would like that," Gaara whispered with a smirk, and Sasuke felt his eyes droop before Gaara was ripped off his body.

The redhead fell with a thud and a loud groan as his head connected hard with the hardwood floor. Sasuke barely noticed Hinata screaming at Gaara, he was too busy sucking precious oxygen back into his lungs. He sat on the couch, stunned, looking into the furious eyes of Naruto. He started slightly, until he realized the anger was directed at Gaara.

"Are you okay?" Naruto asked, brushing his hand down the side of Sasuke's face, almost as if he couldn't help it. Like hours before he hadn't held Sasuke at gunpoint. Sasuke leaned slightly into his comforting touch.

"I will be," Sasuke wheezed. Then he coughed and let his head fall against the cushion of the couch. "I think."

Naruto nodded and winced as his fingers lightly passed over the fast-forming welts on Sasuke's face. Sasuke's eyes opened back up and he stared at Naruto, remembering what Gaara had told him. He was wearing nothing but baggy sweatpants that had a couple holes in them, and his hair was even more wild than usual. His cheeks were slightly flushed and he seemed… sated.

"Did you come from Gaara's room?" Sasuke asked, unflinching. He knew he should be doing other things right now, like getting the hell out of there, or maybe asking Naruto where he had gone last night, or demanding to know why he _still_ didn't know why he couldn't remember anything. But none of that seemed very important.

Naruto's face flamed and he pulled his hand away. "Uh, yeah. You were sleeping in my bed, and everyone else was already asleep. Gaara was in the bathroom so I just asked him if I could crash in his bed. I was intensely drunk, so I just kind of… passed out hard."

Sasuke stared at him. Gaara had lied to him? But what about when he had talked about Naruto… coming? "So you didn't have sex with him?" Sasuke demanded, and Naruto's eyes widened.

"Hell no! Those days are way behind me, Sasuke." Naruto dimpled at the raven, as if he liked the jealousy he sensed.

Relaxing into the couch, Sasuke let out a sigh of relief. Naruto glanced over at Hinata, who was still scolding Gaara, and his eyes hardened again. He stood up and hauled Gaara up by the front of his shirt, glaring at him.

"What the hell was that, Gaara?" Naruto demanded, and Sasuke turned his face to watch the debacle.

"A fight," Gaara replied blandly, bushing Naruto off.

"Then why the hell did you have your hands wrapped around his throat? And why do you reek like vodka?"

Gaara rolled his eyes. "Because I was drinking vodka, Naruto. And you've seen street fights. They get rough."

Naruto clenched his fists an turned swiftly away from the indifferent redhead. Sasuke made eye contact with Hinata, who quickly looked away. Sasuke forced himself to stand, then walk over to Hinata. She was straightening a picture on the wall and jumped when Sasuke tapped her shoulder. Naruto had sunken into the couch and was watching quietly from the sidelines.

"Why can't I remember some of last night, Hinata?"

She looked up at him, her big eyes so much like Neji's, and swallowed. She reached up and played with her natural hair, a guilty blush coloring her pale cheeks. "That water you were drinking… it… well, I mean," Hinata sighed and looked up at him. "I roofied you."

Naruto sat up on the couch and Sasuke just stared at her. Then he glanced over at Gaara, who seemed oblivious. Hinata held up her hands as if in surrender, and took a single step back. "Nothing bad happened, I swear, but I just… I thought maybe you'd forget… some other things that had happened earlier, and that it would be better for all of us if you didn't remember it."

"Like the fucking gun Naruto held to my head? Yeah, well your brilliant plan didn't work." Sasuke growled, and Hinata whimpered.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, but she wasn't as remorseful as she could have been. He knew she still thought of him as the dangerous police officer that could tear her misfit family to shreds if he wanted to.

Sasuke turned away and glared, furious, at the floor. Then he walked swiftly into Naruto's bedroom, grabbed his phone, and walked back out to the living room. He saw Naruto still sitting on the couch, looking downright sexy and furious. Hinata was looking even smaller under Naruto's smothering gaze. Sasuke stalked past them both, grabbed his jacket from the chair, and stormed out the door. He was an idiot. He was a complete idiot, and he deserved to go to jail for not reporting every single one of those thieving asses. His shoes slapped on the worn wood of the stairs, and as he pushed out of the building and into the foggy early morning air, he checked his phone.

He swallowed thickly as he saw how many calls he had missed from Itachi. He quickly swiped one of the banners open and pressed the phone to his ear, slipping his jacket over his shoulders in the process. He set a brisk walk towards the bus station and wasn't surprised that Itachi answered on the first ring.

"Sasuke? Jesus, I was so worried about you. You're okay, right? Sasuke?"

Sasuke winced as he remembered the condition of his face and briefly wondered how he would explain that off. "Yeah, I'm fine. I went to a friend's last night and we went to a bar. I got in a fight with someone, but other than a couple bruises I'm fine." Sasuke lied, wincing slightly.

"You idiot," Itachi sighed wearily into the phone, and Sasuke could just imagine him relaxing into his mattress. "Are you heading back to your place now?"

"Yeah. I think I'm going to call in sick today," Sasuke said, quickly hopping on a bus that was just about to leave. The driver's wide eyes followed his face all the way to his seat.

"You're not scheduled for today." Itachi said a little worriedly, and Sasuke wanted to smack himself on the forehead.

"Yeah, perfect. I just forgot was all. Killer hangover." That wasn't a lie. His head was pounding painfully and every bump the bus hit made him inwardly groan in pain.

"Okay…" Itachi said, and Sasuke rolled his eyes, then said goodbye and hung up.

His phone switched to his recent calls page after he hit the end button, and he frowned when he saw Sakura's number. Suddenly he remembered her call, and his eyes widened. He groaned out loud and let his head hit the seat in front of him. He was a moron. There was something ticking at the back of his mind though, behind the embarrassment. She had been trying to tell him something. Something important.

He stared down at his phone, debating with himself whether to call her or not. His hand hovered over the call button, and then the bus hit another bump and forced him to click the button. He wasn't so sure if he liked that decision, but he put the phone up to his ear all the same.

Sakura answered on the fifth ring, and when he heard her groggy voice on the line, he swallowed.

"Hello?"

"Uh, hey."

"Sasuke? What the hell are you do calling me at six in the morning?"

"I remembered your call… last night… You didn't really ever get to what the important news was." Sasuke stared out the window, trying to fight down his vicious blush.

"Oh! Oh. Uh, yeah, I never did… uh, did I?" Sakura suddenly sounded very uncomfortable, and Sasuke bit his lip. "How about…" there was some shuffling in the background. "Can you meet me for lunch? Around twelve?"

Sasuke really, really, _really_ didn't want to meet Sakura for lunch. "Sure," he said into his phone. "Where?"

"Is that little café in the strip mall okay?"

"Yeah, that's fine. I'll see you there?" He asked a little awkwardly.

"Yep! Try not to come late," Sakura weakly joked, and then as her words drew out over the phone static, deadly silence filled the line. Sasuke blushed a horrid shade of purple red and Sakura let out a horrified gasp. "Oh, God. I mean, don't be late. I'm sorry. I'm an idiot. I'll just go. Bye."

Sasuke stared down at his phone, blinking a couple times before he let out a humiliated groan and fell back against the seat.

"I can't believe he just left," Suigetsu said for the fifth time, taking a hearty bite of his bagel. Karin glared at him, her fingers tightening around the cup she was holding.

"We all know you can't believe it," she snarled, and Suigetsu's eyes narrowed as he looked at her. It appeared that the romance from earlier had dissipated overnight.

"He had every right to," Naruto said from the couch, staring hard at the floor. "He was almost killed."

Gaara threw Naruto a look. "Oh, shove it up your ass. You all know I wouldn't have killed him."

"It's still terrifying to have a complete stranger strangle you!" Naruto yelled, glaring at Gaara.

"Oh, I know. You want to know what else is terrifying? Inviting a police officer into your house a _day_ after a robbery. Letting him snoop around and learn our names and our godforsaken address."

Naruto scoffed and threw his hands in the air. "He already knew where we were! He had a tracker stuffed in my pocket."

The rest of the gang turned to face him. Gaara glared at him. "You _know_ how to locate a tracker. You know the signs. You would have known if you had one on you."

Naruto shrugged and looked out the window, refusing to make eye contact.

"You basically invited him here?" Gaara practically shouted. "Naruto, it's one thing to put yourself in danger, but to put all of us in danger? What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that Sasuke is harmless! He would never do something like that. He would never turn us in."

Hinata looked at Naruto. "He wouldn't turn you in, Naruto. How could you have known he would have showed us mercy?"

Naruto shoved his hands through his hair. "I don't know. I just did. I just do. He's… different."

Jiraiya watched silently from the counter, waiting for someone to point out the obvious. Gaara did just that. "Oh, like _Sai_ was different? Tell me Naruto, is Sasuke different because instead of horrible threats and evil men hunting us, his punishment will be to put us behind bars?"

Naruto blanched at that, and his eyes darkened quickly. He stood up and walked to the window, placing his forehead against the cool glass and closing his eyes. "You're right, Gaara." He said softly. "I always think of myself before I think of my team, and it's time to stop that. I can't ask you guys to stick your necks out like that for me again. Not after Sai."

Suigetsu stared at the floor for a while before he looked up. "I heard Sai was back in town,"

The words seemed to suck all the oxygen from the room, and everyone stared at Suigetsu.

"Are you serious?" Karin asked, and she glanced over at Naruto. He hadn't moved from his spot at the window, but a wry grin was on his face.

"Isn't it just my luck," he said quietly, "that right when I move on, he comes back?"

Jiraiya shrugged. "I think it's just the team's luck that Orochimaru will follow him." Those words caused Naruto to flinch and reach for his cheeks, slowly drawing his thumbs over his scars.

"Orochimaru is long gone, off to torture some other poor souls." Gaara said with finality, glancing worriedly over at Naruto.

Hinata worried at her lip and nodded, as if convincing herself. "Let's hope so."

Sasuke wiggled his foot impatiently, glancing out the window of the café while he waited for Sakura to show up. He had arrived five minutes earlier, and was absently sipping on his black coffee. Once he had gotten home, he had headed straight for his shower and bathed the previous days memories from his body. Then he had slipped into his pajamas and watched TV until eleven thirty. Now he impatiently tapped his hand on the table, trying to occupy his mind with thoughts other than Naruto. Or the blonde's scent, which, even after his thorough shower, still clung to him like a heady aroma.

Finally, Sakura pushed into the store, bringing with her the fine chill of the fall afternoon. Her pink hair was slightly windblown, and she had a light jacket wrapped around her frame. When she saw Sasuke she waved and made her way over. Sitting down across from him, she smiled politely and he nervously smiled back. He was a bit worried to hear her news.

"Hey," she said as she flagged a waitress down. "Sorry I'm a bit late, I was caught up in traffic." Sasuke waited while she ordered and then shrugged his shoulders.

"It's fine. So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

Sakura played with the sleeves of her jacket and refused to make eye-contact with the raven. She smelled like fresh air and dying leaves, and a hint of floral perfume. She had forgotten her makeup this morning, and as he watched, she slung her hair back in a messy bun. Something heavy was on her mind.

Sasuke tried a different approach. "You can tell me, Sakura. I won't judge you. I'll stand by you."

Sakura looked up at his, a smile in her eyes. Their waitress came and set her coffee down, then scampered off. Sakura eagerly grabbed her cup, as if she were desperate to give her hands something to do.

"Well, you see," she began, taking a tentative sip of her coffee, "Remember when I walked in on you and Itachi talking? And I told you I hadn't heard anything?"

Sasuke's blood turned cold with fear and his eyes grew wide. "Yes."

"I lied."

Sasuke instantly leaned forward, his eyes intense. "How much did you hear?"

"Enough to know that you're enraptured with that criminal boy, Naruto. Enough to know that you went out to see him and didn't inform anyone at the police station other than your brother, who _also_ didn't tell anyone." Sakura glanced down at her coffee and sighed. "Which is _so_ illegal."

Sasuke felt like a stiff statue of ice, unable to move his limbs for fear of shattering them into a million little pieces. He couldn't believe he'd been that careless. That stupid. But, so far already he'd made a numerous amount of stupid decisions since he first met Naruto.

"Did you tell anyone?" He asked desperately, almost not wanting to hear the answer.

"No. Not yet, anyway. I just don't know which side to take, Naruto." Sakura said a little desperately, and Sasuke felt sympathy for her. He knew he couldn't force her to keep his secret, and asking her alone would be terribly selfish. He didn't want to burden her with the knowledge that she was withholding illegal information, therefore making her an accessory. He couldn't do that to her. But at the same time, he couldn't _not_.

"I appreciate you keeping my secret for this long," Sasuke said quietly, and Sakura nodded.

"I also, uh, heard you say his name in that phone call." She said rather softly, and Sasuke's face flamed. "I just have to know. Is he just a sexual outlet for you, or is he something more?"

Sasuke stared at the table, feeling his gut twist painfully and wonderfully at the thought of Naruto. "He's more than a sexual outlet. Definitely more."

**Ending AN - I used a new type of line breaker for this chapter, so if it didn't turn out great I'm sorry for that confusion. Also, you all know I'm a review whore: you know what to do. Tell me what you think: I sincerely love to know how you guys are handling all the things going on in the story. It's a cool inside look into your guys' minds, and I LOVE IT. Just like I love you. SO PLEASE REVIEW AND TELL ME HOW MUCH YOU HATED AND/OR LOVED THIS ISSUE! Much love,**

**-IC (P.S. I'm starting a shout-out thing where I chose an awesome review from each chapter and share my love back, but I'm not sure if that's too conceded or not. PM me or leave your response in a review to let me know! Thanks!)**


	7. Old Friends

**Author's Note - I have trapped myself in a hole, here, guys. I got so many reviews that made me smile that it is TOUGH to pick my top one, so I cheated and picked two. You all made me smile and get warm little butterflies in my belly, but naming all you porkchops off would just take up too much time. I thank ALL of you for reviewing. It really gives me that boost I need to keep my writing up. The two reviews that stood out to me the most were:**

**hellothreeheads - that review was crazy long and crazy great.**

**saku-ann - I really like it when you guys share what the hell is going on in your crazy heads, and that's what this review did. I loved it! **

**TO ALL THE REST OF YOU PEOPLE: I F*CKING LOVE YOU OKAY AND I AM THANKFUL FOR ALL THE SUPPORT YOU'VE GIVEN ME. YOU ROCK.**

**Warnings: Curse words and what I call a 'slight filler slight OMFG WHAT' chapter.**

**Disclaimer: Holy moly this AN is already long enough no one cares about this anyways like who reads this? Say I. (cricket cricket) - Enjoy!**

XXX

Kakashi frowned over his notes, sighing in frustration. He had been given the name of a criminal that had been reportedly seen lurking through the town. He had been through the archives and found that a couple of years before he had been arrested for a month. After his release, he had fled to another state. Kakashi took a long sip of his energy drink and stood up, tired of letting the words swim in front of his eyes. He'd just got ask around the station to see what everyone else knew of him.

Walking into the lounge, Kakashi leaned against the doorframe and watched Neji, who was staring at a wall in utter concentration. He took another drink of his juice and pulled his sleeve up to check the time. Neji had been staring at the wall for ten minutes straight. He needed to get this poor boy on a case.

"Hey, Neji." Kakashi said casually, as if he hadn't just been studying him for ten minutes.

Jumping, Neji glanced over and blinked. Then he nodded his hello and messed with his loose tie.

"Do you remember a case involving a Sai character a couple years ago?" Kakashi questioned, and Neji's mood seemed to darken even further at that.

"Yeah, I was the one who brought him in. Why? Is he back?"

Kakashi shrugged, not wanting to give away false assumptions. "There have been supposed sightings of him, but no one can be sure. Do you think you could handle partnering this case with me?"

Neji turned back to the wall and slumped forward. "I don't think my skills would be very useful in this case."

Kakashi rolled his eyes and set his drink down hard. "Neji, I don't pay you to sit around and mope like a five year old. I understand that seeing a loved-one commit a crime like that is a shock to the system, but you can't let even more criminals get away with acts like that just because you're shocked."

Neji turned to him with a slight glare. "You don't understand."

"You're right, Neji. But I don't need to understand. I need you to get off your powerful ass and help me crack this case. You brought Sai down once, and I know you can do it again."

Neji turned away and stood up with a growl. "Fine. I'll do the outside of the station work, you do the inside."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at the order but kept quiet, standing along with Neji. He held out his hand and smiled with Neji begrudgingly shook it. "Let's take him down, shall we?"

"Not if you keep talking like you're from the eighteen hundreds."

Laughing, Kakashi watched fondly as Neji exited the lounge, his shoulders stiff with purpose.

XXX

Neji glanced at Ino, who was painting her nails as they all waited around for a call. Itachi was out patrolling, Neji's least favorite thing to do. Ino glanced up and smiled at Neji. He stared back, biting his lip as he sat down next to her. She brushed her vibrant hair out of her face and her big, blue eyes snagged his.

"Been a while since you've watched me paint my toe nails, eh?"

"Maybe that's because it's such a disgusting habit." Neji said with an eye roll, and Ino growled at him.

"You _know_ you like a woman more when she's got gorgeous toe nails. It just shows that they take better care of themselves."

"Yes, but they can do it other places than at work. Like at home, for example." Neji picked up the bottle of dark purple polish, staring at the name. Ino raised an eyebrow and grabbed her white nail polish and painted it onto her other foot.

"Ugh, why are you mismatching them?"

Ino huffed and stared at him. "First of all, they're not your toes, so you don't even have to complain about them, and second of all, you have the purple nail polish."

Rolling his eyes again Neji set the polish down and got to the topic he had come in the room to ask her about. "Remember that Sai guy from a couple years back? The one who was running that massive drug circle? With the killer lawyer?"

Ino had finished with her toes and was recapping the polish. "I think so. He was kind of cute, right? Pale, with dark hair?"

Neji ignored the faint blush he felt when she described Sai. "He's not _me_, Ino." Neji said coolly.

Ino smiled slightly. "I know. He's more black and white."

Neji bit his lip and stared at a spot on the wall. "So, do you remember what state he went to? It wouldn't be much, but I could look for a license plate with that state, and a driver with his description."

Ino nodded, as if agreeing with the idea. "Yeah, that's a start. But I don't know, much less remember, what state he went to. You'd have to go to the archives or Sakura to find that."

Neji nodded and stood up, finding himself rather reluctant to leave. "Good idea. Enjoy your mismatched toes." Ino rolled her eyes, but smiled softly all the same.

Neji then walked down the hall and into Sakura's open office, where she was spinning lazily in her chair. Raising an unimpressed eyebrow, Neji waited for her to notice him. When she did, she sat up straight and blushed slightly.

"Oh! Hey, Neji. Sorry about that- kind of bored right now. What do you need?"

"I could tell. Can you look up what state Sai moved to a couple of years ago? His current last name isn't registered, if that's going to cause any problems."

Sakura shook her head and smiled at him, typing away quickly on her computer. Neji stood in the doorway, taking in her office. Her walls were the same as the rest of the station; white. She had a couple of newspaper clippings on her wall, but other than that all she had was her desk and a couple of office chairs for guests to sit on.

"Aha, here it is…" she clicked on something then clucked her tongue and waited a couple more seconds. "Does he look like a black and white painting?"

"That would be him."

"He moved to California two years ago. He hasn't been registered anywhere else. Did he move back?"

"Sightings." Neji said absently, his mind already tracing back to remember what Californian licenses looked like. He thanked her and walked briskly out of the station, hopping in his everyday car and pulling quickly out. On the road he drove slowly, eyes scanning for every single red cursive license plate he could find. His eyes snagged a couple times on some, only to have the driver be either elderly or a woman.

Finally, after two hours of maddening searching, Neji pulled over on the side of the road, letting his head bang against his steering wheel. His horn went off and a couple people jumped and glared and him. He didn't even care. He couldn't concentrate on anything. He kept seeing Hinata's wide, frightened eyes. Her short hair, much different than her old, longer locks. The new people she had stood next to, as if they were her family. As if she had never sworn to Neji that she would always be there for him.

Rocking back in his seat, Neji smashed his fists against his dash, screaming. How could she? How could she have done that to him? She knew that he was a police officer, that eventually he would figure it out, that she couldn't hide forever. Neji closed his eyes and tried to remember the last he had heard from her. It would have been at least five years ago, at least. He knew that she was smart enough to change her phone number, and most likely smart enough to use an untraceable phone number. After all, she was his cousin.

Sighing, Neji watched the people outside walk happily along the sidewalk, smiling and talking and living. Then he glanced down at his phone and dialed Hinata's old number, feeling a ridiculous hope growing in his chest as the phone rang. After the seventh ring, there was a long beep, then an automated woman's voice came over the line. Neji threw the phone to the side of his car in disgust. He would think about his betrayal later. For now, he had an asshole to track.

XXX

"Eh, asshole, come over here. Check out this psycho pounding his steering wheel." Sai said, looking out the bakery window. Orochimaru grunted from his place behind the counter and continued shuffling dollar bills around in his hands, licking his lips. "Orochimaru! He's literally having like, an attack or something," Sai said, snickering.

"Do I look like I fucking care?" Orochimaru asked, glaring greasily up at the pale boy. Shrugging, Sai continued to watch as the long haired man with light eyes attacked his dashboard.

"Hey do you know how much we rolled in today?" He asked absentmindedly, watching as the man drove away in his black SUV. He turned back to Orochimaru and flicked the bakery sign to CLOSED.

Orochimaru coughed and sifted the money between his long fingers greedily. "A couple hundred, at least. Are you going to make that trip to Hy-Vee to restock?"

Sai shrugged and sat himself down in a chair, filling his nails down to perfection. "I thought people would actually be able to, you know, _tell_ the difference between processed crap and the real thing."

Orochimaru tutted and glanced up, almost in a fatherly fashion. "Now, Sai, don't get mad at _them_. It's not their fault they've been taught to endure processed filth. Besides, it helps business."

Sai laughed and stood up, shaking his head. "You know, sometimes it's hard to remember that you're really the drug overlord."

Orochimaru glared and stuffed the hundreds of dollars into his pocket and closed to cash register, following Sai back into the large, completely empty kitchen in the back. Sai made sure the door was closed behind them before he pushed a cabinet to the side. A set of dark, dank stairs appeared before them. Orochimaru pushed past Sai impatiently and trotted down the steps quickly, Sai following close behind.

Once down there, Sai flicked a light switch on and a single, fluttering bulb lit up the small, musty space. Sai immediately went over to a dark brown cabinet filled with old clothes, rifled through them until he came to a pair of old socks. Pulling them out, he reached in and retrieved a small pouch filled with a dark green plant that was so sweet it was choking. Sai shuddered as he inhaled it's scent and quickly shoved the socks away.

Orochimaru looked on with disgust, lighting himself a cigar as he watched Sai's shaking hands move over the lighter. In a flick and crack as the flame ignited, the blunt caught fire and Sai took a long drag. His eyelids fluttered closed and he sighed in bliss and leaned backwards gratefully.

"Enjoying your filthy weed?" Orochimaru asked with a curl of his lip, watching as Sai's own plump ones wrapped around the burning paper.

"Oh, Maru, _yes_. I love you so much, you know?" Sai crooned, relaxing into the wall unsteadily.

Orochimaru softened at those words and smiled as he held the cigar up to his thin lips. Blowing the thick smoke back out of his mouth, Orochimaru gazed heavy lidded down at Sai, who was wrapped up in watching the smoke make lazy circles around his head.

"When's our client coming?"

Shrugging, the brunette glanced over at the unimpressed Orochimaru. "He said he'd come sometime. He never gave me a time." Sai took another long drag and coughed slightly. "It's a drug deal, Maru, what the hell do you expect? It's not like we're going anywhere, anyways."

Orochimaru crossed his arms haughtily as he blew more pungent smoke from his mouth. As he stared at the crumbling old wall, he suddenly remembered something.

"Say, Sai, does that old flame of yours still live here?"

Sai blinked heavily as he processed the question. "Naruto?"

Orochimaru smiled slightly at the name and nodded, flicking ash off the end of his cigar as he waited for an answer.

"I think so," Sai said, looking abruptly bored. "I don't know for sure though. Like, he could have moved somewhere. California would be a good place for him. With all that pretty blonde hair."

Orochimaru stiffened with jealousy and reached forward, hauling Sai up. He made eye contact with the zoned out boy and grinned, trailing a pale finger gently down his face. "Do you like his pretty blonde hair?"

Sai swallowed nervously and nodded, then wedged his arm between them to take another large lungful of his blunt.

"Do you want my hair to be blonde?" Orochimaru whispered, flicking his tongue out to trail it across Sai's jawbone. Sai, too high to comprehend what he was doing, just sighed and closed his eyes. Orochimaru smiled cruelly and leaned in, pressing his thin, sour lips to Sai's own. He closed his eyes and groaned, uncaring that the pale boy wasn't responding to his ministrations, too doped up to register anything other than the cracks on the ceilings. Orochimaru trailed his hands down Sai's side and gripped his waist, smiling as he pulled back. Sai was still staring above him, and Orochimaru forced his chin down.

"Who do you belong to, my little druggie?"

Sai's dull eyes rolled. "You. Hey, where's the good stuff?"

Orochimaru ignored Sai's pleading and smiled happily to himself, living in the fantasy of a rotten love.

XXX

Naruto kicked a pebble along the sidewalk and tried to keep his thoughts from straying to Sasuke. But he couldn't stop them. It was like trying to close a gap of rushing water the size of your body with only your fists. No matter how much he wanted to prevent the pour of feelings and memories, they came anyway, a wild mass of confusion and happiness.

Kiba walked alongside him, continuously pulling his hood farther down over his face. He was wearing a dark gray basketball sweatshirt and sweats, with his hands jammed down in his pockets. He watched as Naruto kicked the pebble along with them, keeping his eyes trained carefully forward.

"Man, I don't know why you insisted that we go on a walk. You know how paranoid I am. Why didn't you take Suigetsu?"

"Because you're my best friend," Naruto replied easily, sending a happy smirk over to Kiba.

"Okay, well what does that have to do with me walking with you?"

Naruto shrugged and gave the pebble an extra hard kick, watching forlornly as it whizzed out into the street and away from him. "I just wanted to talk. How's the Hinata mission coming along?"

Kiba stared at him, his eyebrows raised. "Are you like, PMSing or something, dude? You never just want to fucking talk."

Naruto let out a groan and fought the smile tugging at his mouth. Kiba always knew exactly how he felt. Even if he didn't always know what he was thinking. Plus, talking about Sasuke wasn't so bad. "I'm distracted. I can't stop thinking about Sasuke. About where he is right now, what he's doing. Who he's with." Naruto watched as two small children threw rocks into the pond and squealed when the water splashed back at them. "What if he has a girlfriend? What if he has a boyfriend? I can't stop doubting myself. It's driving me insane."

Kiba bent down and picked up a stick, then whacked at a tree branch above his head. "Do you trust him?"

Naruto let out a growl. "Of course. The person I don't trust is _me_. I held a gun to his head because he asked if we had a roof. How can I have a relationship with him when I can't trust his safety around me?"

"You can't," Kiba said softly, tossing the stick to the side and reaching down as if to pet Akamaru, then pulled his hand back to his pocket when he wasn't there. "You just… Sasuke doesn't seem bad. He seems laid back and cool, and had big enough balls to punch Gaara, which is saying something." Naruto blushed at the thought of Sasuke's genitals, remembering how he had tasted in his mouth. "But if you trust him, and if you really like _him_, then don't let whatever Hinata or Gaara says get to you."

"I just don't want this to end up like the Sai thing, Kiba." Naruto said helplessly.

"Then Jesus, Naruto, don't see him. I don't know what I'm supposed to tell you. You either see him or you don't. There's no gray area here. We all know that. I think the only one who doesn't know what's going on is you."

Naruto bit his lip and shrugged, almost tripping over another small child as they circled the park again. The girl looked up at him and smiled, tugging at his pants leg. He smiled back and ruffled her hair before she scampered off again.

"When are we going to stop?" Kiba asked softly, staring at the little girls retreating back.

"Stop what?"

"This," Kiba said, gesturing to everything around them with his hands. "Breaking the law. How else are we going to start fresh unless we go to jail? It's not like we can go and grab a job at McDonalds and work our way up. We've made a cage for ourselves, Naruto. You and I, we started something and pulled too many innocent people in with us. Sai sealed the deal. How can we fix something like that?"

Naruto stopped walking and turned to look at him, his eyes wide. "What are you trying to say?" He asked cautiously.

Kiba sighed and shook his head. "I just mean," he glanced over at Naruto before turning back to his feet. "Maybe it's for the best if he arrests us. I'm guessing only a year's sentence for each of us. That's not too bad, Naruto. It could be worse. And I feel like if we continue to scamper around the law like we've been doing, that time will get bigger. We've got our whole life ahead of us. I mean, come on, we're both twenty one. Hinata isn't even, she's twenty. We've been doing this for too long."

Naruto swallowed thickly, trying to get past the sudden knot in his throat. Kiba's words were true, they were all so true. But Naruto was comfortable. He was happy. He enjoyed the adrenaline rush that breaking the law gave him. He felt young and alive and free, and he _enjoyed_ it. He didn't want it to end. He didn't want to trade all this in for an everyday job just so he could pay for an apartment and eat food, then repeat every day.

At the same time, though, he _did_ want to just drop everything and turn himself in. He wanted a life after the crime. He wanted to raise a family and grow old and laugh with friends and be forgiven and cleansed of his crimes. He wanted to be able to live guilt free, wanted to let his blonde hair _stay_ blonde. Wanted to go out in public and chat with his friends as they ate chocolate and talked about the newest movie coming out.

He didn't know how to choose.

He didn't want to.

XXX

Itachi knocked for the second time on Sasuke's front door to his apartment, standing impatiently outside. He had come here instantly after work to check on him, and had been absolutely furious when his younger brother hadn't picked up his phone to respond. He slammed his fist against the wood again, louder and in rapid succession.

"Sasuke! You idiot! Open the door before I kick the damn thing down!"

Nothing.

"Sasuke, I'm giving you to the count of three."

Suddenly, there was shuffling on the other side of the door and a hoarse call, "Wait! God,"

Itachi instantly relaxed and lowered his throbbing fist, watching as the abused door open in front of him. Sasuke stood there, his face a map of bruises and bumps. He had on a baggy shirt and huge sweatpants, so Itachi couldn't see his abdomen, but from the way he carried himself he could tell he was sore there. Fear and anger and protectiveness rushed to the surface and he took a step forward.

"Sasuke! You said you had a couple bruises, not a whole mess of them. Have you even put ice on these?" Itachi's hands fluttered protectively over his brother's face and he watched as Sasuke winced and pulled away, beckoning him inside.

Itachi stepped in and immediately made for the kitchen, grabbing an ice pack from the refrigerator.

"Sit down, sit down," Itachi muttered, pushing his brother onto his couch and instantly applying the ice to his swollen and purple face. Sasuke winced but allowed the ice to stay there, going limp on the couch. Itachi glanced over at the TV and smirked when he saw that Sasuke had been watching Cake Boss on Netflix.

"How did this happen?" Itachi demanded, watching as Sasuke's face clouded over.

"You know how drunken bastards in a bar are; looking for a fight."

"And you were the one to fight?"

"I was the drunken bastard."

Itachi rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest, noticing his brother's jaw twitch ever so slightly.

He was lying.

"Sasuke," Itachi said, frowning down at his little brother, who was weakly trying to grab at the remote. Suddenly Itachi remembered something. Sakura had returned from her lunch today and told him that she had seen Sasuke. She hadn't mentioned any bruises at all. "Why didn't Sakura tell me about these bruises?"

Sasuke flinched at the sound of her name and sat up, grunting when the ice pack fell off his face. "It was pretty recent, so the bruises hadn't quite formed all the way."

Itachi rolled his eyes. "You idiot. I know you didn't get in a bar fight, so drop the act, okay? Tell me what happened."

Sasuke sighed tiredly and pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers. "Sit down," he said finally.

And so he told him. He told him of how he had tracked Naruto, how he had found their apartment, how Jiraiya had knocked him out, the voting for him, the bedroom (minus the blowjob), the gun, the fight, and then finally Sakura.

Itachi blinked a couple times, staring down at his hands in stunned silence. Then he looked up, opened his mouth, and closed it again. "You…" he turned away and stood up, pacing angrily. "_That's_ where you were? How could I have been so stupid… I knew that was a bad part of town…"

Sasuke stared at him in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

Itachi turned to him. "You don't seriously think that I'd let you prance around without a tracker on your phone? I saw your location last night, Sasuke. And how the hell do you get beat up that badly from that scrawny little redhead? I thought I trained you better than that. Also, I can't fucking believe that you went over there in the first place, you fucking _idiot_!" Itachi huffed and grabbed his long hair before taking a quick seat.

"You knew… you know…" Sasuke had gone pale as he stared at Itachi, realization filling his veins.

Itachi wasn't paying any attention however, too busy trying not to have a heart attack. "Hold on," he said, and both brothers paused, letting the crazy tension ebb away as they both gained their composure.

"Yeah?"

"Sakura said she'd keep your secret?"

"Yeah, why?"

"She's nice and all, but she doesn't strike me as one to keep a secret that big and important just because you're a swell guy." Itachi closed his eyes. "Jesus, Sasuke, you are one naïve bastard."

"Look, I wasn't even thinking straight anyway, my head was killing me." Sasuke grumbled, and Itachi frowned at him.

"Why was your head killing you?" Itachi asked, carefully casual.

Sasuke sighed and leaned back into the couch. "Isn't that a side effect of being roofied?"

Itachi froze and blinked. Roofied. Roofied?

"What the hell do you mean?"

Sasuke stopped moving and refused to open his eyes as he realized his mistake. He had left that part out of his story. His shoulders slumped and he opened his eyes sheepishly. "Uh, yeah. They roofied me." He didn't bother giving it an explanation; his brother wouldn't care.

"You've got to be…" Itachi threw his hands into his hair and scrunched his face up. "Those bastards. You're sticking your neck out for them and you don't even know them, and you're only infatuated with Naruto. And they have the gall to treat you like that?" Itachi stared pacing around again, and suddenly his eyes lit up. "I'm going to go on a jog. Stay here and be safe for once, okay?"

Sasuke watched in confusion as his brother whirled out of the room, closing the door swiftly behind him.

Itachi grinned to himself on the other side of the threshold, pulling out his phone. He still had Naruto's apartment down on his phone. And he was going to find him, _them_, and make them see just how civil Sasuke had been. When he was done there, they would be quivering in their boots and begging for _real_ mercy.

Snapping his jacket quickly over his shoulders, Itachi made his way back down Sasuke's apartment building and into the cool evening air, where he quickly caught a bus. He checked his phone at multiple intervals, and finally hopped off in a dingy neighborhood where sick looking children played basketball with shoes too small for them and dirt smeared on their faces. Wrapping his jacket tighter around himself, Itachi quickly navigated his way through the crumbling wreckage of homes.

Finally, he came to a stop in front of a rather plain building crawling with cats and greasy looking men. Itachi checked his phone and smirked when he saw he had arrived at his destination.

Full of confidence, he walked into the danger zone.

XXX

A/N: So? How was it? Not boring, I hope... ANYWHO: I have decided that I want to try something new for my ending AN, and all the lovely people who take the time to read it. I'd really like to know where all you guys are from, because I want to get to know you a little bit better and see how far my story has reached. **So, if you're up for it, please leave your country (or state) in a review! Thank you all so much! Much love, **

-IC


	8. Someone Gets a Scolding

**Author's Note: Literally I love you guys so much. I don't know what I'd do without you; I'd be so lost. All of you, each and EVERY SINGLE ONE! Makes this site ten million more times better to be on. Seriously. So, I thank you all for that, and for humoring me with telling me your location (through PM and reviews) You guys ROCK! Also: Sai will be intensely OOC in this fic, don't know if you've noticed this yet. So, with that matter taken care of, please, enjoy!**

**Warnings: Drug use, suggestions of violence, and sexual themes. **

**Disclaimer: We all know I don't own Naruto. (or do we?) **

XXX

"Okay, like, what the fuck even is this show?" Suigetsu demanded, throwing a glare at Karin.

She shot a glare back at him, huffing and refusing to answer as the four brides on TV discussed each other's weddings to the camera. Hinata was watching with mild interest, a confused look on her face.

"Is the point for them to give each other low scores? None of them have gotten a ten. Who's the judge?"

Karin growled in annoyance and threw the remote on the ground. "You people! It's Four Weddings – they're competing to win a honeymoon for free. Whoever has the best wedding wins."

Suigetsu made a disgusted face at the TV, kicking his legs over the side of his chair. The gang had relaxed quite quickly after the whole Sasuke ordeal, and it was almost as if he hadn't been there at all. Almost.

Naruto was still staring out the window with a slight frown on his face, even after his walk with Kiba. Gaara had gone up to his room to nurse both his battered body and battered ego, and the rest of the team was tentatively walking around, as if someone had punched a hole in the window and now there was glass all over the floor.

Hinata blinked at the TV screen, setting her book down on her thighs, holding her place. "But wouldn't they just vote each other low?"

Karin covered her face with a pillow and let out an exasperated groan. "Can we please just _watch_ it? This is not a book club, we don't have to analyze everything that goes on."

Hinata raised a defiant eyebrow but shrugged her shoulders anyway, disappearing back into her latest novel. Suigetsu continued to moan from his armchair and Naruto remained stoically silent. On the screen, a bride critically addressed the situation of another bride's gown.

Kiba was watching from the counter, but his eyes kept straying, almost on their own accord, to Hinata's curled form. His tattooed cheeks would flush and he would glance desperately back at the screen, as if waiting for her to look up and scold him. She had to be aware; she had to feel the burn of being watched. But she just continued to read, fooling Kiba into thinking she was oblivious.

Naruto slumped forward, pressing his tight fists to his closed eyelids. He counted to ten, took a couple deep, deep breaths, then released. He had no means of tracking Sasuke; no way to find him and confront him and make him spill his guts. No way of knowing if he had put his team in danger for nothing more than a charming smile and a pretty face.

No. Sasuke was more than that.

Sasuke was kind and understanding and intelligent and as honest as anyone could get in this corrupted, dying world. He was like a shining light in a suffocating tunnel of utter darkness.

It scared the hell out of Naruto.

He shouldn't have these feelings, these strong, intense, goose-bump enticing feelings for someone he had met, at a _robbery_, no less, nearly three days ago. It was insane, it was crazy, and it was utterly unstoppable.

"Her dress is so ugly," Karin sneered, snapping the blonde from his thoughts.

"Don't be a judgmental bitch," Suigetsu snapped, and Naruto chuckled lightly.

In order to fight off the Sasuke-induced haze that had settled over his mind, he would have to act normally. He would have to act like he would have a week prior; light hearted and happy and cocky.

Kiba jumped off the counter and went to sit next to Naruto, summoning Akamaru to his side. He patted the dog's head affectionately, then grasped his ears and laid his forehead against the canines own. He closed his eyes and stayed that way for a couple of long, drawn out seconds, then he glanced up. Everyone but Karin was staring at him, and he raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"You were like, making out with your dog." Suigetsu stated, and Kiba blushed.

"I was just showing my affection for him," he defended, scratching Akamaru's ear lovingly.

"Kiba, if you're into dogs, you can tell us," Naruto joked, and Hinata let out a small giggle. Kiba glanced up and her and they made eye contact. Naruto noticed they didn't break it for a long while.

Suddenly there was a polite pounding at the door, and all of them jumped. They exchanged weary glances, and Naruto swallowed thickly. He got up off the couch and walked slowly, almost hesitantly, to the wooden door. He peered out of the peep hole and nearly fell to the ground.

It was just the pizza man.

The pizza man?

Naruto leaned back into the apartment and yelled, "Who the hell ordered pizza?"

There was a thundering of loud footsteps as Jiraiya tumbled down the steps, grinning. "That would be me. Is the delivery boy young? Cute?"

Naruto glanced out the peep hole again. "He's got nice eyes, I guess. Not really my type."

Jiraiya rolled his eyes and pushed Naruto out of the way, snickering. "We all know who your type is. Something along the lines of 'Dangerous, Dark Haired, and Crazy'."

Blushing, Naruto fought against his urge to retort that Sasuke wasn't crazy. He was actually one of the most stable people Naruto knew. But, spending a while with the gang would wear anyone's sanity down.

Jiraiya answered the door with an inviting grin, and instantly the pizza boy blushed and thrust the warm pizza box into Jiraiya's hands, watching as the white haired man chuckled.

Naruto rolled his eyes and walked into the kitchen, where he grabbed an apple and rinsed it under the water. Taking a big bite, he watched as Jiraiya walked back into the room, looking triumphant.

Setting the steaming pizza box down, he waggled his eyebrows at Naruto. "I just got his number."

Naruto almost spit out his apple. "What? How? You're like, at least thirty years older than him!"

Jiraiya shrugged and winked. "He doesn't know that."

"Fucking pervert," Karin called from the couch, and the gang laughed.

This felt good. This felt right. It was normal and casual and _nice_, but there was an emptiness in Naruto now that he knew could not be filled by anyone. It was like he had taken a hit of a drug and now he was hooked; nothing else would suffice. His life would always be a little less than what it could be without Sasuke involved. And that scared him.

"Does anyone want pizza?" Jiraiya asked, and Kiba and Suigetsu both got up to grab a piece. Karin glanced over at it but quickly looked away, biting her lip. Suigetsu noticed and his eyes narrowed.

"Oi, Karin. Come over here and eat some pizza. It's not like it'll kill you."

"Have you ever considered the fact that I'm not hungry?" She asked with a glare, and Suigetsu rolled his eyes.

"You haven't eaten since yesterday afternoon. I don't know what's going on in your mind, but you're hungry. So eat."

Karin's cheeks reddened when she heard this, and she turned away from Suigetsu. "No."

Growling, he grabbed a slice of gooey pizza and walked over to her, straddling her hips casually. Her whole face was set aflame and she feebly pushed against him. "Get that away from me!"

"I know you're trying to go on a diet," Suigetsu snarled, and Karin flipped him off.

"So what?"

"So, you don't _need_ to go on a diet. You look fine!"

Karin glared at him.

Growling, Suigetsu grasped her chin in his hands and forced the pizza into her mouth. Karin's eyes widened in surprise and she pushed him off, but not before he forced her to take a bite.

"You are a freak!"

Suigetsu pushed his hair out of his face from the position of the floor, annoyed. "And you are perfect just the way you are! So no annoying girl insecurities! Eat the damned pizza!"

Silence filled the room and Naruto fought to contain the laugh that quickly bubbled up inside of him. Hinata was watching the whole display with wide eyes, and Jiraiya and Kiba were both munching on their pizza, completely uncaring of the scene in the living room.

Karin's face broke out in another deep red blush and a small smile graced her lips. Suigetsu smiled back, then pushed himself off the floor.

"You really think that?" Karin asked, and Suigetsu picked the pizza off the couch, handing it to her.

"Of course I do, otherwise I wouldn't have said it, idiot." Suigetsu replied, his eyes going wide as Karin smashed their lips together.

It was at that exact moment that a loud, violent pounding on their front door echoed through the apartment. Everyone froze, and Gaara appeared almost as if from nowhere at the top of the steps, his sea-green eyes wide.

Naruto ran a hand through his hair and glanced over at the gang. He knew it was his responsibility to answer it, considering he had brought this situation upon the whole team. He motioned for the rest of them to go out to the patio, where the fire escape awaited them. If it came to that, they would be the first ones to go.

After Kiba sent him a worried look, Naruto swished the blinds closed over the door, sealing the gang from sight.

Then he walked to the door. He peered through the peek hole, his stomach dropping to his knees when he saw Sasuke's warped, strange face through the glass. He had a hood pulled up, so Naruto couldn't exactly see his eyes.

Sighing in relief, Naruto unlocked the door and swung it open.

The face that greeted him wasn't Sasuke's.

It looked very much like Sasuke's, but it wasn't. This face was softer, more round, and the eyes weren't as wide and innocent. Naruto knew, without a doubt, that this was Sasuke's brother.

He was here.

At Hinata's apartment.

That meant one of two things; either Sasuke had caved and told the police everything, and now the building was currently surrounded by helicopters, which in turn meant everyone outside was either already in cuffs or being held at gun point. _Or_ Sasuke's brother had somehow found their location with his amazingly intelligent detective skills. Naruto knew it was probably the prior.

Instantly, he backed up from the door, holding his hands guiltily above his head. Itachi stormed into the room, slamming the door behind him with so much force it shook the walls.

"You're Naruto?" He demanded, his tone cold and unforgiving. The natural blonde nodded his affirmative. "Where's the rest of your… your… gang of criminals?"

"I would like to ask you what you're doing here fir-"

"No! Fuck that! You honestly have the gall, the fucking _gall_ to demand I give you answers first? Listen, I can already tell I have been on this God forsaken Earth longer than you, so I'll be damned if I let some thieving, manipulative little shit _ask me questions_."

Naruto blinked at the vicious hatred pouring off Itachi's words and flinched. He knew he deserved it; he knew he should have never selfishly pulled Sasuke and all those close to him into the tangle of mistakes that he called his life.

But he couldn't have helped it if he tried. So he stood quietly, letting Itachi get a hold of his composure before he spoke again.

"Where are the rest of your _friends_?" Itachi asked, and Naruto swallowed but held firm.

"I can't answer that."

"Like hell you can't answer that! I want to see the one face to face who decided to use my baby brother as a punching bag."

Naruto swallowed, but refrained from glancing back at the closed blinds. That would give them away, and he was done putting them in danger. He was done being selfish.

"Look, Itachi, I know you must be angry-"

"You think I'm _angry_? Angry doesn't even come _close_ to covering what I'm feeling right now, kid. I am downright _furious_."

Naruto felt the trickle of sweat form along his hairline and he shifted on his feet, aware suddenly of what he knew he must do.

"I understand. I can't let you take my team in. I was the ringleader in the whole thing, they are all innocent." Naruto thrust his hands out in front of him, offering himself to be cuffed.

Itachi stopped, a confused look on his face before realization dawned. Then he outright laughed. "You think I'm here about the robbery? That is far behind me. I've already withheld that information for more than a day, so I'm an accessory, just like Sasuke. My hands are bound there. I'm here about what happened to him yesterday, at the hands of one of your teammates."

Naruto's mind was spinning. Sasuke had told his brother about him? The thought filled him with unnamable happiness that he fought hard to trample down.

"So you're saying there are no other police officers here right now?" Naruto asked hesitantly, watching Itachi carefully. He couldn't afford to make a mistake here. If Itachi lied and said no, they would all be toast and behind bars within hours.

"Of course not." Itachi said impatiently, and Gaara chose that moment to appear from behind the blinds, effectively giving away the other member's hiding place and also effectively giving Itachi another target to zero in on.

"Don't lie," Gaara said slowly, and Itachi's beautiful eyes narrowed.

"Which one is this. Is this the red haired one?"

Gaara blinked in surprise, his hand going up to touch his own hair, like he had forgotten he had dyed it.

Itachi took his response as a yes and growled at him, taking five threatening steps forward before Gaara hoisted up a gun and pointed it directly at his forehead. Naruto's heart dropped into his stomach, where it fell to the floor and plummeted down to the basement.

"Gaara," he said slowly, inching in front of the seething police officer, "put the gun down."

"You are so _uncivilized._" Itachi growled, his cold eyes snapping viciously at Gaara, like he knew he was the one who had hurt his little brother. "Do you understand the great kindness, the enormous amount of generosity Sasuke has given you?" Itachi raised his voice, loud enough so that the member's outside could distinctly hear him, "HAS GIVEN ALL OF YOU?"

Gaara was watching him with hooded eyes over Naruto's shoulder. He still hadn't put his gun down, but he wasn't gripping it as tightly as he had been before.

"How did you repay him again?" Itachi asked, and Naruto flinched, remembering the gun he had held to Sasuke's head. "Oh! Yes! I remember, now! By beating him to a bloody pulp and knocking him out! You people are so _kind_." Itachi snarled, his hands tight, curled weapons at his sides.

Naruto flinched with every word that left the older raven's mouth. This man didn't need weapons to kill; all he needed was time enough to speak, and his words would do the job for him. It felt as if every single one of the words that fell from his lips was a small knife cutting guilt into his skin, marking him all over with the crimes he had committed.

Gaara lowered the gun, looking slightly paler than normal. He had also been affected by those words. Then he gained fire again.

"I didn't ask for him to come here!" Gaara shouted back, desperate.

Itachi laughed, a cold, horrible laugh. "I didn't ask for this asshole in front of me to drag my little brother into his world of problems, either, kiddo. But he did, and I am here. Granting you all mercy for not turning you in on the _spot_."

Gaara's mouth moved to shape words, anything, to defend him against the harsh truth of Itachi's words, but he couldn't. He just stood there, looking pale and, for the first time in a long time, frightened.

Itachi spoke softer now, but his tone was no less threatening. Almost more so. "All I'm saying," he said, and his voice was like a deadly poison, slow and cruel and almost sweet. "is that the next time you see my baby brother, which I hope to God is never, that you _thank him_. That you treat him like a king, because it his only because of him that you are not behind bars this very second, making markings in the wall to count down your days in that hellhole."

The rest of the team slowly slipped back into the room at this, and if Itachi was intimidated, he didn't show it in the slightest. Instead he made eye contact with each and every member of the gang, sending a shudder rippling down their spines.

He then straightened, flicked dust off his shoulders, and turned to Naruto. "I expect that you remain civilized the next time Sasuke sees you. Take him to the park, or to the movies. Give him at least some semblance of a healthy relationship. Because I do _not_ want him stuck up in this apartment with a bunch of criminals just so he can see you. I don't care how attractive you are."

Naruto swallowed and nodded quickly, feeling as if he should jot down notes.

Itachi narrowed his eyes one last time at the stunned group of criminals before him, then made his way to the door. Just before he shut it, he turned back around with a wry grin. "By the way, I know where you live now, so unless you trust me immensely, which isn't a good idea, I'd relocate." Then the door fell shut with a slam, and silence filled the apartment.

XXX

Orochimaru flipped through the numerous amount of hundred dollar bills in his hand and lazily pushed the illegal drugs towards a quivering man with greasy, brown hair and sallow skin. He was so glad that his Sai didn't look like that; spoiled and wasted, all in the name of forgetting your problems like a child. Orochimaru was disgusted with the lot of them. Satisfied that he had the right amount of change, he nodded to the man, who greedily picked up the medium sized plastic bag with shaking hands. Sai was watching the exchange from the corner, drowning in his own sea of weed and smoke.

"Thank you so much, man," the guy panted, quickly rolling himself a blunt.

"Don't smoke that here," Orochimaru snapped, and the man looked up at him.

"But he's-"

"An exception. Now get out of here." He dismissed the pitiful man with a wave of his hands, stuffing the wad of bills into his pocket. The man quickly scampered out of the basement and up into the bakery.

Sai laughed from his corner and Orochimaru turned slimy, affectionate eyes on him. "Whatever is so funny?"

"You. You're so… serious." Sai said, standing unsteadily up from the floor. "You're so much different from Naruto."

Orochimaru froze, his fingers halting in the process of lighting himself a cigar. "How exactly, are we different, my Sai?"

Sai ignored the possessive way he said his name and took another hit of his blunt. "Naruto was younger, first of all. Plus he was really outgoing and innocent, and _sooo_ fucking cute. Like, you will never find a better ass on anyone, I swear, and he was funny and sweet." Sai sighed dreamily, blowing a thick gust of white smoke from his mouth.

Orochimaru felt a small pang of her bang around in his otherwise hollow chest, and quickly looked away. "If you're so enraptured by him, Sai, then why do you stay with me?"

Grinning, Sai leaned against the table and inhaled another lungful of his blunt. "The drugs."

Orochimaru turned swiftly on him, fury shining from the depths of his greasy, cruel eyes. "I thought you said you loved me," he whispered, grasping Sai's chin in his long, cold fingers.

Sai laughed and pushed him away, eyes focusing on the burning blunt in front of him. "I was just joking around, Maru. I love you. I do." The whole time he spoke, he never took his eyes off the burning roll of paper.

Orochimaru relaxed and smiled at Sai, allowing himself to live in the fantasy of love for a little while longer. Finally lighting his cigar, Orochimaru flicked the ashes into his crystal ash bowl, rubbing his own chin thoughtfully.

"You know what I think would be a good idea, Sai?"

"Hm?"

"Seeing Naruto again. It's been such a long time since either of us have seen the poor boy; he's probably out of his mind missing you."

Sai's eyes lit up at the suggestion and he nodded, leaning happily into Orochimaru's form. "That is a _great_ idea, Maru. But how will we find him?"

Smiling, Orochimaru took another inhale of his cigar, slowly exhaling the thick, pungent smoke. "You leave that to me, my little bird. Now, run back over to Hy-Vee and refill our stock, would you? We _do_ have a business to keep going here,"

Sai groaned and pushed off of the older man, snuffing out his blunt and running a hand through his now-long hair. "You exhaust me, Maru."

"I know," Orochimaru said absently, already taking out his phone and dialing a phone number he hadn't called in quite a while. Sai grumbled something or other and then trudged up to the empty bakery. Orochimaru heard a distant jingle of bells and walked upstairs himself, pressing the phone to his ear and he secured the cabinet in place.

Kabuto picked up on the fourth ring, and his interested voice filled the line. "Orochimaru, is this you?"

"It is indeed. How have you been?"

Kabuto chuckled slightly. "I've been better, I've been worse, too. What brings you to call my services?"

"I need you to track down someone for me." Orochimaru stood in the seating area of the bakery, blowing smoke from his mouth as he watched people stroll by on the sidewalk.

"Oh, interesting. Who do you need, boss?"

"Naruto Uzumaki. He's naturally blonde, naturally has bright blue eyes, and he has faint scars on his cheeks. They look like whiskers. For all I know he could have moved, or changed his hair color, but can you see what you can do?"

There was some shuffling from the other end of the line. Finally, Kabuto replied, "I'll see what I can do." Then hung up.

XXX

Sasuke held a package of cold corn to his face, trying to enjoy the simple act of watching TV. It was rather difficult when he couldn't see anything other than yellow, but he was determined. He was still anxiously waiting for Itachi to call or return, unsure of where exactly his brother had gone off to do. He hoped he hadn't been stupid enough to 'confront' the problem head on. With Sasuke's luck, Itachi would end up in the same situation he had been in previously.

His stomach gave another painful throb, and he winced and repositioned the frozen broccoli over his abdomen. Sakura hadn't called him either, and it had been a surprisingly quiet afternoon. He kept expecting to have his door smashed down by Naruto, or his windows broken with a brick. Or maybe he just wanted to think of Naruto, no matter the context.

Despite his previous anger at the criminal, Sasuke hadn't been able to get him out of his head all day. He _still_ couldn't get him out of his head; the way his eyes crinkled up when he was about to tell a joke, the way his scent would wrap around Sasuke like a warm blanket, the way his tongue ring would clink ever so slightly against his lips. Thinking of Naruto's tongue ring made him shiver in delight, and the hand holding the frozen broccoli relaxed slightly, letting the bag fall to the ground.

Sasuke didn't know what he was doing; all he knew was that suddenly the room seemed too hot, even with the corn pressed to his face. The thought of how Naruto ate sprang into his mind and Sasuke's heart rate sped up. He felt his lungs constrict around every breath, and blood started pumping generously south.

He thought of how Naruto attacked his foot, groaning with ecstasy at the taste. In his mind, Sasuke replaced the food with his own rock-hard manhood. His hand finally slipped under his boxers and played with the skin around his penis, letting his filthy thoughts harden his dick further.

He let his head fall back as he imagined what Naruto's face looked like wrapped around his own arousal, the way his full pink lips spread for him, the way his tongue brushed against his pulse erection, eliciting the most erotic kind of pleasure. His hand finally wrapped around his solid manhood, and he gasped in pleasure.

He pretended that instead of his hand, it was Naruto's stroking him leisurely up and down, his smoldering blue eyes staring into his soul, making him shiver in the best possible way. As he tightened his hold and quickened the ministrations of his hand, Naruto bent low and wrapped his plump lips around Sasuke's erection, offering his tongue as a pleasure-filled cushion for his erection to rest on. Using the precome as a lubricant, Sasuke squeezed and twisted, arching gracefully into his own hand, loving the way it felt as he lightly teased himself by brushing his thumb over the head of his erection. In his mind Naruto's tongue ring flicked back and forth over his sensitive flesh, dipping into his slit an lapping at it like a dog to water.

At the thought, Sasuke's abdomen tightened gloriously and he panted out a groan, speeding his desperate hands up. Naruto's tongue ring dragged down the side of his shaft, while his hands played with his balls and he continued to burn Sasuke with his dangerous eyes. Then the coil in his stomach snapped and he came, gloriously spilling his seed into his own hand, crying out Naruto's name and trembling in pleasure as he milked himself dry.

Lying there, in the throes of his post-orgasm tremors, Sasuke drifted off to sleep with the image of two bright, intoxicating eyes burned into his mind.

XXX

**AN - **Hope you enjoyed the latest installment! I will try to include some NaruSasu time in the next chapter, so look forward to that. I'm really excited with how we're moving forward in the story; **but I'm also trying to figure out when and how Naruto and Sasuke should have their first... ahem, love making session. Suggestions would be very much appreciated!** If you have some, please leave it in a review or PM me. You're all awesome, and thank you for reading. **Much love, **

**-IC**


	9. The Part Where They Have Sex

**AN - Okay, so this is long for me. You guys don't get to complain about length for a while. I am actually pretty pleased with this chapter, and am getting excited to write the next couple ones. THINGS ARE HEATING UP! Both sexually (FINALLY) and plot-wise. I CANNOT WAIT. Please enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: F off, you silly little ego-downer. **

**XXX**

The next day was bright, sunny, and utterly glorious. Sasuke walked out of his apartment building and was met with the cheerful sounds of birds chirping, the nice, soft breeze that accompanied fall, and the peaceful swishing of tree leaves as they danced in the wind.

Yet, despite all of the beauty surrounding him, he was annoyed.

He had woken up too late, with a soggy bag of corn pressed to his face, hand stuffed unceremoniously down his pants and uncomfortably stiff with a substance better kept in the dark, and a sore back from sleeping on the couch all night.

His alarm clock had been going off in the other room, completely useless, and he had managed to stumble into the shower, throw on a baggy sweatshirt and jeans, and make it out of his apartment _without_ any coffee.

Growling, Sasuke shoved his hands through his hair and stalked after the bus station, stuffing his hands in his pockets. He knew he was going to be late for work; that fact had already been accepted. However, he had not managed to get a good look at his face before he fled his home, and was unsure of the current state of his face.

He could certainly _feel_ how it must look, but he wasn't sure how to lie his way out of this one. Everyone knew how mild mannered Sasuke was – they would never buy a story involving him and a random ally way fight.

Perhaps he could blow it off as an accident. Like, whoops, I accidentally fell down twelve flights of stairs, don't worry! Or maybe the classic purse robber story; he had fought the offending criminal in order to win the little old lady's purse back.

Growling and stomping his way onto the bus, he made eye contact with the driver to see just how bad the situation was. He man blinked when he saw his face and turned swiftly away, swallowing.

Great. Sasuke looked like a thug. Sighing, he sat down and was grateful, at least, for the fact that his eyes weren't swollen shut. Letting his head rest against the seat, he suddenly remembered the fact that Itachi had not returned to his apartment last night, like he had promised. He hadn't even called him.

Slipping his phone out of his pocket, Sasuke dialed his brother's digits and held the phone to his ear, watching the world outside as the device rang.

"Hello?" Itachi asked, ridiculously chipper for it being seven in the morning.

"Why didn't you come back to my apartment last night?" Sasuke growled, trying to clear his throat. His voice was always about ten tones deeper in the morning, something his previous lovers had found attractive, while he just found it annoying.

"I was busy. Why? Did you need me?" That was Itachi for you; ever caring, ever kind.

"No, I was just curious. What was it that you were doing?"

Itachi chuckled, sounding thoroughly amused. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Sasuke blushed and held the phone away from his ear for a second. If Itachi was implying that he had gone off to have sex, he didn't want to think about it. "You're disgusting," he said with a low groan, completely forgetting his suspicions from earlier.

"Are you on your way? You're already five minutes late."

"Yeah, yeah. I slept in on accident. My face might be a little bit battered up still; I didn't get to see how bad it was."

Itachi's voice became deadly within seconds. "Does it still hurt?"

Sasuke considered telling the truth, but decided against it. Itachi didn't need to worry. "No, I'm fine. It just doesn't look like I am."

Itachi heaved a sigh into the phone line, then grew serious. "What's your excuse?"

Sasuke stood up when the bus rolled to a stop, and shuffled out with the rest of the pedestrians. "Bar fight? Some dude was harassing a young lady and I decided to put it to a stop?"

Itachi hummed over the phone line, then clucked his tongue. "I suppose that'll do. Now get your ass in here before Kakashi fires you." With that, the line went dead and Sasuke trudged into the police station.

Once in, he walked to the lounge, where everyone sat at this hour. Neji was leaning back in his seat, worrying at his lip. He looked a bit leaner, a bit paler, and all together a nervous, twitchy wreck.

Ino was keeping a concerned eye on him, trying to distract the already distracted Hyuuga with her colorful magazines filled with the latest pop culture gossip. Kakashi was sipping an energy drink and leaning casually back in his chair, taking the whole scene in.

When Sasuke walked in, he saluted him with two fingers and watched as he sat down, placing his head quickly in his hands. But Kakashi missed nothing.

"You look like shit," he stated, sitting up. "Like someone decided to use you as a punching bag, shit. What the hell happened?"

Sasuke remained silent, hoping they all thought he had fallen asleep. Appearing lazy on the job would be better than lying to his team _again_.

"Answer me. That's an order." Kakashi said, speaking lowly. Ino and Sakura glanced over, and when he made eye contact with Sakura, her eyes widened, resembling two, bright blue plates on her face.

"Bar fight," he mumbled, and Kakashi yanked him up by his hood, thoroughly examining his face. He tutted and took another sip of his sports drink, his hands twitching impatiently on the table.

"You are a bad liar, Sasuke."

Despite the fact that his words froze the blood in Sasuke's veins, he rolled his eyes. "Obviously it wasn't a tussle for fun. There was some douche trying to get up a girl's pants. So I stopped him and he wasn't too happy about it. End of story."

Kakashi examined his nails, then turned his intelligent eyes on the terrified raven. "Since when did you start going to bars?"

Sasuke sat back and glared at the ceiling, trying to look like a pouting teenager. "_Jesus_, can I not go out and have fun like every other twenty three year old in the world?"

Sakura was glaring at him, obviously peeved that he had withheld the information of him getting beaten up at Naruto's, but she remained silent as ever, her hands folded delicately in her lap.

Ino was still staring worriedly at him, and even Neji broke his trance to look over at Sasuke. "Well," Ino said, biting at her lip. "I hope the other guy looks just as bad, if not worse."

Sasuke tried to fight back his grin, knowing that Gaara had come out ten times better than he had. He was just glad that his fingers hadn't left bruises on his throat; that would have been much harder to explain.

Kakashi was still staring skeptically at him when Itachi bounded into the room, carrying two steaming cups of coffee and about a million packets of sugar and cream. He set the hot, black coffee in front of Sasuke and took a seat beside him, already dumping too much cream into the bitter drink.

"Good morning," he said happily, smiling at everyone in the room. When his eyes landed on Sakura, she paled ever so slightly, but Itachi pretended not to notice. Sasuke was slowly picking up on how great of a liar Itachi was. The fact was both comforting and unnerving at the same time.

Kakashi's eyes swiveled towards Itachi, and they suddenly snapped back and forth between the two, and Sasuke winced inwardly. He had figured something out. Sasuke just didn't know what.

Looking slightly put off, Kakashi turned to Neji and snapped his fingers in front of his nose, grinning when he flinched back to life.

"Have you got any more information on Sai?" Kakashi asked, setting his drink down.

Sasuke's lungs stopped working for a second. Then they kicked into gear and it took all his willpower not to gasp and drop the steaming mug on the floor in horror.

Sai.

_Sai_. As in, the Sai that had broken Naruto's heart? As in, the Sai who had pulled Naruto and his friends into the dark world they lived in today? As in, the Sai he wanted to meet just so he could snap his neck and walk away?

_That_ Sai?

He slowly took another sip of the bitter liquid, thankful, at least, that Itachi and Sakura knew nothing about how much that name meant to him. How much weight it carried.

Neji groaned and shook his head in frustration. "I haven't been able to catch a California license plate with the driver matching his description."

Sakura unfolded her hands from her lap and leaned forward, looking interested. "Do you mean the Sai with an unregistered last name? Black and white Sai?"

Sasuke's hand shook just the slightest. He calmly set his coffee down on the table and tucked his quivering palms into his pockets.

Neji and Kakashi turned towards her. "Yeah,"

Looking triumphant, she turned to her computer and typed in the password before pulling up a file. On it, there was a picture of an attractive looking man wearing a black tank top and cargo pants, with long hair that fell in his eyes and a stack of brownies and custards piled in his hands.

Everyone in the lounge frowned at the picture, and Sakura shrugged. "Someone snapped a picture of him leaving Hy-Vee. His face is a ninety eight percent match to his last mug shot. It beats me why he's carrying all that junk."

Kakashi had leaned back in his seat and was staring furiously at the screen. He was trying to figure it out in his head, Sasuke knew. But he wasn't sure how well that was going to go over. What sinister reason could this Sai have with using baked goods?

Neji had perked up at the name of the store, and was already jotting something down in a notepad. "We're gonna need all the security tapes at all the local Hy-Vee's. He could also be visiting other stores, but for now this seems to be good enough." Neji glanced up, and Ino was looking around in confusion.

"Okay, I get that he was a criminal, but the man's carrying a stack of _brownies_, for Christ's sake. Is he really a serious threat? Don't you think he's changed?"

Neji shook his head, leaning back in his seat with an almost pained sigh. "Criminals never change."

The words shook Sasuke more than he'd like to admit.

XXX

Naruto woke up and groaned, rolling around uncomfortably on his bed, like a child having a tantrum. He didn't want to wake up. He didn't want to walk out that door and face his team, knowing they would still support him even after all the shit he'd thrown their way. So he stayed in bed for a couple more minutes, counting the cracks on his ceiling.

Finally, when he knew he couldn't put it off any longer, he rolled out of bed and opened his door.

Hinata was collecting her numerous amount of books spread all over the place, placing them in a small cardboard box and sighing. Kiba was packing up the dry food in the kitchen and Naruto knew that everyone else must have been storing their things away upstairs, too.

They were really doing it.

They were leaving.

Swallowing, Naruto walked over to Hinata and placed a hand on her shoulder. She jumped and dropped one of her paper backs, and in that moment she looked so innocent and sweet that he wanted to take a sledgehammer and pound himself into the ground. She didn't deserve this. She didn't deserve to betray her family all because of Naruto and his stupid mistakes. None of them _deserved_ it. But they all dealt with it anyways.

"Where are we going?" He asked, and she shrugged, keeping her eyes on the floor. He knew she didn't want to leave. She hated change, but she hated putting her family at risk even more.

Kiba glanced up from the kitchen and smiled at Naruto, throwing a box of cereal at him. "We're gonna live like homeless people for a while."

Naruto blinked in shock, unable to believe that they would really allow that. Hinata just shook her head with a small smile and picked up the cardboard box. "We're obviously not going to live as homeless people, Naruto, don't worry. But I don't know where we'll live, as of now."

Jiraiya tumbled down the steps in a heap of excitement, grinning from ear to ear. He looked out of place among the somber people in the room.

"Shit, guys, you are going to _love_ me," he exclaimed, smacking his hands together loudly.

Hinata's wide eyes got even bigger and hope filled her expression. "Why will we love you?" she asked, desperate.

Jiraiya paused for a moment, then broke into another grin. "You know how we don't really have a place to live right now?"

"Yeah?" Kiba asked, smiling wide.

"I found us a place!" He yelled, throwing his hands up in the air.

"Jiraiya!" Hinata yelped, throwing her arms around him in a hug. Kiba looked instantly jealous. Jiraiya chuckled and hugged her back, still grinning confidently.

"Where is it?" Naruto asked, a feeling of sweet relief pouring through his system.

Jiraiya's phone buzzed and he pulled it out, checking the message. His face softened and he smiled at the screen, quickly responding. Then he glanced up.

"What?"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Where is the place?"

"Oh! Well, you know Kyo?" He asked, glancing distractedly at his phone.

"No." Naruto said, a small feeling of dread curling in his stomach.

"The pizza delivery boy? Yes you do! Well last night I was texting him, I also FaceTimed him – let me tell you that boy's body is _heavenly_ – and I told him about our little predicament."

Hinata dropped her cardboard box of books in surprise and Kiba looked utterly horrified. Naruto didn't dare to breathe.

"He offered to let all of us stay at his apartment, if we help with the rent, which won't be hard at all. He says he's got two extra bedrooms, so we'll have to squeeze, but it's better than nothing, right?"

Kiba still looked horrified, and Hinata was trying hard to make the situation into a positive one. "Did you tell him of our… profession?"

Jiraiya laughed. "I'm not that stupid. No, he doesn't know. And since we all changed our appearances drastically, he won't really be able to tell if he sees a poster or flier for us hanging up somewhere."

Naruto was still processing this. "You met him yesterday," he stated, and Jiraiya nodded, "and he was delivering pizza." Again, another nod from the older man. "And how he's letting you, and all of us," Naruto gestured around, "stay at his _apartment_?"

Jiraiya laughed heartily. "He's not a cop, Naruto. Unlike you, I can show some restraint to a man in uniform. He's just an adorable boy with a big heart and a big co-"

"I do NOT need to hear that," Kiba interrupted, eyes wide.

Jiraiya laughed again, and his phone buzzed. Naruto watched as he answered the text, still trying to figure out if it was safe or not. The more he thought about it, the more desperate he became. They really had nowhere else to go. And if Jiraiya had found the gang a place to stay, who was Naruto to say no? He had already cost them enough. So he kept his mouth shut and let his team decide.

Hinata looked a bit resigned, but she nodded anyway, a small smile in her eyes. "That was a good job, Jiraiya. Thank you. When can we move?"

"Today, if you want. He's got the day off, so he said he'd help us move our stuff."

Kiba slumped against the counter, closing his eyes. "I can't believe we're moving in with your pizza boy."

Jiraiya seemed to like sound of 'your pizza boy', and grinned evilly down at his phone.

Gaara, Suigetsu and Karin came down, and Jiraiya quickly explained the situation to them. Gaara was rigid at first, untrusting and calculating, but the more he thought about it, the more he warmed up to the idea. When he heard there were only two bedrooms, he glanced over at Naruto.

"Kiba and Hinata can sleep in one," he said almost automatically, and both of them blushed to their toes but made no move to protest. "and Karin and Suigetsu can have the other room. Jiraiya will obviously sleep with Kyo, and we'll just sleep in the living room."

Gaara nodded and his hooded gaze traveled down the blonde's body. "Are you going to tell your police officer where we're relocating?"

Naruto froze, his heart ceasing its constant beating for a second. How was he going to find Sasuke? He couldn't wait in the apartment until the stubborn raven decided to show up again. He would just have to find him on his own time. He knew where the police station was, and if worse came to worse, he would hunt him down there. As of now, he would not think of Sasuke. He would banish him from his mind and help the gang, his only family, get control of their ever erratic lives.

He was done being selfish.

XXX

Up close, Kyo was actually pretty attractive. He had a nicely defined jaw and a five o' clock shadow, with heavy lidded dark brown eyes and an easy smile. Naruto could see why Jiraiya was drawn towards him. He was so easy to like.

He was holding a large box full of Karin's clothing, and she was trailing behind him, glassy-eyed and dreamy. Naruto and the rest of the gang had already settled in their assigned rooms; Kiba and Hinata shared the room on the first floor of the small condo-like apartment. Karin and Suigetsu shared the second floor, alone, and Jiraiya was rooming with his lovely Kyo.

Hinata had endlessly thanked him and Kiba had never taken his eyes off her the whole time, standing directly behind her as if Jiraiya's pizza boy was going to make a move on something he hadn't even claimed yet.

Once Karin's last box was in her room, they all collapsed onto chairs in the living room, Jiraiya flinging his arm over Kyo's shoulder with a grin. The boy flushed and snuggled closer, and Naruto was still mildly caught off guard by how fast Jiraiya had moved his relationship along. He had known him – not even _known_ really – known _of_ him, for less than a day, and already the boy seemed to be enamored with him. They were staying in his apartment, for Christ's sake.

And Naruto thought _his_ relationships moved fast.

"So," Kyo started, playing with a lock of Jiraiya's hair absently. "welcome to my humble abode."

Hinata stammered out a quick thanks, followed lowly by the rest of the team. They didn't know what to do, how to act.

They had been taken out of their comfort zone and thrown head first into uncharted territory. The ice in the room seemed to freeze every effort someone made to speak. Silence ruled.

Then, finally, blessedly, Jiraiya stood up and leaned down to Kyo, running his lips along the younger boy's ear. No one could hear what he was saying, but his words caused Kyo to shiver in delight. He was up immediately and following Jiraiya into his room, leaving the gang to murmur restlessly amongst each other. Hinata quickly disappeared to her room, Kiba not far behind. Taking their lead, Suigetsu made eye contact with Karin, and soon they were gone as well, bickering the whole way.

That left Gaara and Naruto sitting alone in the new, unfamiliar living room with different cracks on the walls, different stains on the floor, and different memories haunting the halls. Gaara made eye contact with Naruto and grinned, pulling back his long sleeved shirt to check the time. His fake eye brows rose, and he whistled.

"We kind of killed today," he said softly, and Naruto peeked up from the jail of his fingers.

"What time is it?"

"Eleven at night. We might want to get some shut eye." Gaara said gently, his eyes never leaving Naruto. The intimacy they had shared at least a year ago was not gone from his gaze, and Naruto couldn't help but bite his lip. Maybe it was for the better. Maybe, he just wouldn't find Sasuke again. Maybe he would let this whole, dangerous, thrilling disaster of a situation die out and remain a fond memory of the past. Maybe he could be happy with Gaara again; he hadn't been bad to him before.

So many maybes.

Swallowing, Naruto nodded and turned over on the stiff couch, wondering if this was how his life was going to be. If he would continue to run from the authorities, to run from his responsibilities, to run, run, run.

Had Kiba been right? Naruto didn't know, and he didn't like thinking about it. He didn't like thinking about how someday, he wouldn't be free. Someday, he would end up behind bars, no matter how far he ran, how many fake names he took on, how many colors he dyed his hair. He couldn't run from that guilt forever.

Kiba had said that their current time wouldn't be that long – a year, at most. A year of his life, gone, wasted, flushed down the toilet. All for a nice hit of drugs and the soft feel of someone's lips against his own.

He was stupid. He was careless and selfish and tired. He was so tired. But he didn't know what to do. How to fix what he had done. So, he remained on the stiff couch in a stranger's home and closed his eyes, eager to let sleep take him away to a place where a stranger's touch didn't mean the end of the world.

XXX

The next day, Sasuke was up at the butt-crack of dawn. He was showered, dried, deodorant-ed, and caffeinated, and he was casually sitting on his couch, watching the early morning news. He was looking for signs of Sai – anything that would at least give him some clue to where the crazy son of a bitch might be. Neji had gotten permission from all the local Hy-Vee's and had spent the night going over each and every tape from the last six months, so he had to have _some_ information.

Taking a bite into his tomato, Sasuke let his eyes fall close. His hand was twitching and his toes were tapping a relentless rhythm on the floor of his apartment. He was almost sure why. He had gotten a nice night's sleep, he had drunk his coffee and was now just waiting for the bus. He should be happy, relaxed. But instead he was nervous and jumpy and his mind could not, would not focus on anything.

He missed Naruto. He couldn't get the man out of his head, but he couldn't skip work to go over to his apartment just to see him. He had to get his life back under control first. He had to get a grip. Catching the time on his phone, Sasuke turned off the TV and casually walked outside, noticing a rolling storm brewing in the distance.

Climbing onto the bus, Sasuke watched as the trees passed, as the people passed, as life passed. He needed to get more information on Sai; he needed to help his team at least a _little_.

But he couldn't. Not like this.

Growling, he turned away from the window and wasn't surprised to find people staring at him. He had checked his face this morning, and his bruises had faded to a light yellow color, making him look sick and sallow. He didn't care. It wasn't like Naruto was going to see him like this anyways.

Angrily tromping off the bus, Sasuke threw himself into the police station, his agitation clear on his face. Kakashi greeted him calmly, and Sasuke grunted back in return, slipping into Sakura's office.

She glanced up then started, her eyebrows rising quickly. "Sasuke?"

"Get me all the information you have on Sai," he growled, and she raised a worried eyebrow.

"Neji and Kakashi are already on it…"

"Just," Sasuke sighed and leaned against the wall. "please. I want to help."

Sakura glanced quickly out the door, then shut it. She turned to Sasuke and took him by his shoulders. "You have to stop seeing Naruto."

The words hit him like a sledgehammer to his throat. He couldn't breathe. His heart sped up and his fingers clenched, but he remained still. "Why?" he asked, his voice rough.

Sakura closed her eyes and shook her head. "Don't you see? Sasuke, he's changed you. You used to be happy and alert, a steady, constant person. Now you're showing up with bruises all over your face and your mind halfway to Jupiter. He's not _good_ for you, Sasuke."

With every word he flinched, and she looked sad and guilty, but firm. "Sasuke, I'm only saying this because I care. There's only so much I can do for you, but letting you emotionally give yourself hell is _not_ something I'm okay with. So unless Naruto gets better at being a boyfriend, or lover, or _whatever_, know that I will be watching you."

She ran a delicate hand down his face, and Sasuke sighed and closed his eyes. Some part of him knew she was right; he was different, and maybe not for the better. But another part, the part of him that Naruto completed, knew he would always be like this unless Naruto was in his life. So he nodded, pretended that her words had an effect on him, that they had changed his mind.

Sakura smiled happily and pulled back, blushing slightly. "It's not that I want you to be unhappy, I do, but… I just want you to be happy _and_ healthy. And that's not happening with Naruto."

Sasuke nodded, looking away and clearing his throat. "So, Sai?"

Sakura blushed harder and pulled away completely, returning to her computer. "I will get right on that." She looked up one more time, smiling softly. "Thank you, Sasuke."

Nodding curtly, Sasuke left her office without another word. He knew he was not only kidding himself, but her as well. There was no way in hell he wouldn't be dropping be Naruto's apartment tonight. No way.

XXX

Naruto stood, in the pouring rain, waiting for Sasuke to exit the police station. With his luck, it was probably Sasuke's day off, and he had been standing out here in the freezing, pouring rain for five hours for no reason at all. Still, he waited. He had blearily woken up in Kyo's apartment, with about four hours of sleep, considering all the sounds of sex that had been echoing through the house during the night. Jiraiya and Kyo had by far been the loudest, and a couple of times Naruto had caught the words 'That's right, my little pizza boy'. He shivered thinking about it.

Finally, he saw a flicker of movement within the police station, and then a pale, long-haired male exited the building. His long hair was pulled back, and for a second, Naruto thought it was Itachi. He sunk even farther into the bushes he was hiding in, not giving himself enough time to think about how stupid he was. On a closer inspection he found that it was Hinata's cousin, Neji. He didn't look good. He had dark bags under his eyes, like someone had dipped their thumb in blue paint and smeared it under his light orbs. Naruto watched as he got into his black SUV and drove away, biting his lip.

Then the rest of them came pouring out: an attractive, bouncy girl with long blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail, a superior looking man with gray hair and what looked like an energy drink clutched in his hands, a girl with light pink hair and a short skirt, Itachi, and finally, finally, Sasuke.

Naruto's breath caught as he got a look at Sasuke's face. It was yellowed with bruises and he was walking slowly, carefully, as if not to disturb a wound Naruto could not see. He kept low in the bushes, watching as everyone bid each other goodbye, then left in their cars. Sasuke was making his way into the rain, heading for the bus stop. He put his hand up to protect his face from the rain, but once he stepped into the downpour, he was drenched. The thought sent blood pooling delightfully in Naruto's groin.

Slowly standing, Naruto emerged from the bushes and casually fell into step next to the raven, despite how his hands were begging him to touch him, how his lips were begging him to taste Sasuke's own. When the raven looked over, his eyes widened and he stopped walking, his hands falling to his sides. Naruto hadn't been conscious that he was shivering until that moment, and Sasuke's eyes were all over him, offering a much welcomed heat to the blonde's body.

Then their mouths were touching and nothing else mattered; not the way people were pushing past them and staring, not the way the rain was drenching their clothes and making them both shiver, not the fact that Sasuke had left in a rush and that they hadn't seen each other for two days.

All Naruto cared about was that Sasuke was right here. Right now. He groaned and grabbed Sasuke's jacket, tugging him closer. His heat, his glorious, wonderful heat was wrapping around him, making him dizzy and excited and _full._ God, he felt full. Sasuke made a desperate, almost keening sound in the back of his throat and Naruto growled, biting the raven's lip and evoking a choked gasp from the police officer. His hands were all over, under his shirt, in his hair, just starting to slip down Sasuke's pants when a loud horn broke the two apart.

Panting and staring at each other as the rain drenched their clothes and stained their faces with tears, they were speechless. Then the bus driver leaned out and yelled, "Unless you wanna stay out there, get your sorry asses in here!"

Sasuke glanced quickly back at Naruto, desperate, and grabbed his hand. Naruto started in surprise and followed the raven onto the bus. Both were so wrapped up in the novel that they were _there_ with _each other_ on a _bus_ that they never noticed a gaping, pink haired girl sitting in her car. They also never noticed the look of fury on her face, and the phone clutched in her shaking hand.

XXX

Sasuke was staring at Naruto, whose body was against the window, his vibrant eyes (he had gone off contacts) a stark, luminous contrast against the dark gray of rain clouds and despair outside. He still couldn't believe that Naruto; _criminal Naruto_, was going to his house. He couldn't believe that he had waited out for him all day in the pouring rain just so he could see him. His body was still wracked with shivers; he wrapped his arms around himself, and Sasuke had to keep himself perfectly still.

He could not show his affection for him on this bus.

Which, honestly, was quite stupid. They had just been caught making out in the pouring rain in front of the bus by the driver; why did it matter that they show affection here?

But something in the air between them had changed as they had stepped onto the bus; it was like their relationship had grown closer, the bond tighter, but at the same time, all the more forbidden.

So Sasuke sat, desperately praying for the slow, jerking bus to pull to a stop in front of his apartment complex sooner, before he lost his control and exploded.

Naruto was still shivering next to him, his gaze firmly locked on the falling droplets of rain in front of him, his nose pressed against the chilly glass. Every time he exhaled, Sasuke could see the fog appear on the window.

It was strangely fascinating. To watch something so simple as Naruto sitting on a bus seat; it enraptured him. The way his muscles strained to keep his body from falling off the chair, the way his eyes never stopped moving from face to face, the way he would gently dip his head forward when the bus screeched to a halt. It was amazing in its simplicity. It was gorgeous in its casualness. It was heart stopping in its intimacy.

It was perfect.

Sasuke couldn't understand how the blonde had made such a normal, everyday moment transform into something more, something magical. Sasuke's breath caught in his throat as the realization that he had fallen in love with Naruto wrapped a meaty fist around his heart and squeezed.

He was in love with Naruto.

He was in love with Naruto, and he didn't even know his last name.

He was in love with Naruto and he didn't know what his favorite food was, how he looked when he was in pain, the way he smelled fresh from the shower, what his face looked like after five days of not shaving, the whole story behind _Sai_, if he enjoyed daytime TV. He knew none of these small, almost useless things that meant so much in each relationship.

He was in love with Naruto and he didn't care.

He quickly turned away, his heart beating fast, terrified rhythms in his chest. He could feel it every time another swish of blood was pumped through his veins. Every time his fingers brushed against the rough fabric of Naruto's soaked jeans. Every time the bus jolted forward and the engine vibrated.

Love.

The word kept bouncing around in his head, floating in giant circles and screaming at his consciousness.

Love. Love love love love love love love love love. Love?

When he noticed his apartment complex, Sasuke stood quickly, gripping his seat for support. The bus rumbled to a stop and Naruto glanced up, his eyes wide.

"We're here," Sasuke said, and a strange shyness came over him. He avoided Naruto's amused gaze and hopped quickly off the roaring vehicle, landing lightly on the cement. Naruto followed him, and when he was submerged in the freezing rain, he cursed and ran quickly for the apartments, not waiting for Sasuke to catch up.

Once Sasuke got to the stuttering blonde's side, he quickly removed his keys from his pocket and thrust them into the lock, twisting it quickly and ushering Naruto inside. Once there, the warm, welcome gust of heat blew into their faces, almost instantly soothing Sasuke. Naruto, on the other hand, had turned a frightful shade of blue.

"Shit, Naruto," Sasuke said, taking the shivering man by the wrist. "How long did you wait out there?"

As they walked, Naruto stumbled slightly and tried to answer. "A-about-t f-f-five hou-r-rs. G-give o-or t-t-ake."

Sasuke winced and shook his head, but inserted his key into his door and turned the lock, pushing Naruto into his apartment quickly.

"Sit down on the couch, take off all those wet clothes," Sasuke ordered, already going into his bedroom for a blanket. He didn't realize what he had said until it was too late, and a blush attacked his face.

Walking back out into the living room, Sasuke dropped the blanket in surprise on the floor. Naruto had taken his request _very_ seriously. He was draped over Sasuke's comfy, soft brown couch, completely bare. His clothes were tossed in a pile in the corner of the room, and he was shivering like mad.

Sasuke blinked, tried to swallow, then realized his mouth was too dry. Naruto's entire body was perfection; he wasn't chiseled to the point of no body fat, but he was solid and firm, his legs tight and thick, his manhood thick and long and _heavy_. Sasuke gasped slightly, and Naruto glanced up.

His face broke out in a grin, but it was quickly demolished by his intense shivers. "Y-you like w-w-what you s-s-see?" He asked, wrapping his arms around himself.

Sasuke felt even more heat pulse into his cheeks and he nodded quickly, bending down to grab the nearly forgotten blanket so Naruto couldn't see his face. He had to get him covered up before he thought of different ways to warm him up.

"Here," he said hoarsely, tossing him the thick, fuzzy blanket.

Naruto grabbed it thankfully, wrapping it around himself and sighing in bliss. Sasuke wanted to make him soup; he just didn't have any. He knew that one of the best ways to heat up a shivering, blue-skinned person was to snuggle close to them, but the unbearable lust that had existed in his groin from earlier seemed to have fled at the mention of love.

"D-do you k-know a quicker w-way of warming me up?" Naruto asked from the couch, opening his eyes to grin playfully at the frozen Sasuke.

Finally swallowing down his shyness, Sasuke rolled his eyes and sent him an alluring glance back. He sidled up to the blonde, who had his curious eyes trained on him the whole way over. Sasuke slid up next to the blonde, leaning in close and nipping his ear playfully. Naruto let out a surprised gasp and shivered, this time in delight.

"Oh I do," Sasuke purred into his ear, "and it doesn't involve clothes."

**XXX**

**AN - Hehe. How much did you guys like this cliff hanger? Reviews makes me write faster...**

**Much love, **

**-IC**


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